The assault began around 2 a.m. on May 11, with Russian forces deploying 108 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end... I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for "concrete proposals from both sides" in order for Washington to "move forward" in peace negotiations.
"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, called Witkoff's approach "a very bad idea."
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power."
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his Croatian counterpart Mario Banozic (not seen) hold a joint press conference at Turkish National Defense Ministry, in Ankara, Turkiye on March 02, 2023. (Arif Akdogan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Turkey, Russia, Syria, and Iran will meet in Moscow on April 25, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, as cited by state-run news agency Anadolu.
"Our aim is to solve the problems through negotiations and bring peace and tranquility to the region as soon as possible," Akar added.
According to the minister, the Turkish, Russian, and Syrian defense ministers and intelligence heads met in Moscow in December last year and decided to continue the meetings.
"Later, views were exchanged on the participation of Iran in these meetings. This was approved by the relevant authorities," said Akar.
Ankara has repeatedly expressed wanting to facilitate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. For example, on Jan. 14, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that Turkey was "willing to push for local ceasefires and small localized de-escalations" in Ukraine.
Iran has been supplying Russia with kamikaze drones that are used along with missiles, guided aerial bombs, and other weapons to launch attacks against Ukraine.
Politico reported on April 12 that Russia and China were in "advanced secret talks" with Iran to supply the country with ammonium perchlorate, a chemical used to propel missiles.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Alexander Khrebet
