This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin... doesn't want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this, immediately," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to to Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from May 14–16, where he is expected to address the war in Ukraine and push for stronger Allied defense commitments.
The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
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."
An apartment building damaged by a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Feb. 12-13, 2024. ( Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration/Facebook)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed four people and injured another 11 over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported early on Feb. 13.
Russia targeted a total of nine Ukrainian oblasts — Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.
Russian forces struck an agricultural facility in the village of Kurylivka in Kharkiv Oblast at around 7:30 a.m. local time on Feb. 13, killing two male civilians and wounding two more people, according to Oleh Synehuibov, the regional governor.
Russia hit multiple settlements in Kharkiv Oblast over the past 24 hours, also damaging a house in Kupiansk, said Synehuibov.
Russian troops shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast early on Feb. 13, killing a 64-year-old man and damaging his house, Serhii Lysak, the regional governor, reported.
Russian earlier attacks on the Nikopol district wounded a 73-year-old woman, as well as damaged an agricultural enterprise, almost 20 houses, and other buildings on Feb. 12, according to Lysak.
An 83-year-old woman was killed in a Russian overnight attack on the village of Lvove in Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, said on Telegram.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast overnight and on the previous day injured two other people and hit residential areas, according to Prokudin.
Russia launched 127 strikes on 17 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the past day, the regional administration said on Facebook.
The attacks injured a 67-year-old man in Huliaipole and a 37-year-old law enforcement officer in the village of Poltavka, according to the Zaporizhzhia Oblast authorities.
Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 12 injured three residents in Selydove and another in Niu-Iork, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
The attacks damaged over 20 houses, a kindergarten, four apartment buildings, and two non-residential buildings, Filashkin said.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Kateryna Denisova
