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."
Firefighters extinguish a blaze at a house damaged by a Russian attack on Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on March 16, 2024. (Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
Russian forces attacked the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrosk Oblast with drones and artillery on March 16, injuring two residents, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
The injured victims are a 77-year-old woman and a 75-year-old man.
The Russian military targeted the town of Nikopol and the Chervonohryhorivka community in a series of attacks throughout the day, damaging homes, property, and infrastructure.
More than 30 homes were damaged, and a fire broke out at one of the houses. Emergency workers extinguished the fire.
The attacks also struck an infrastructure facility. Power lines and a gas pipeline were hit, Lysak said.
Garages, cars, a forklift, and a greenhouse were also damaged. The attacks destroyed six outbuildings and damaged six others.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
