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."
First responders putting out fire in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast following a Russian artillery strike on March 2, 2024. (Governor Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
Russian attacks on March 2 injured two women aged 65 and 66 in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as well as a 55-year-old volunteer near Kharkiv Oblast's Kupiansk, officials reported.
The Nikopol district came under attack in the morning. Russian artillery reportedly hit Nikopol itself and the Chervonohryhorivka community.
Both injured women were provided medical assistance. A local cafe caught on fire as a result of the attack, Governor Serhii Lysak said, adding that further consequences are being determined.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces struck the outskirts of Kupiansk, likely using KAB aerial bombs, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
The injured volunteer suffered shrapnel wounds and was hospitalized, according to Syniehubov.
The northeastern city of Kupiansk was briefly occupied by Russian forces in 2022 before being liberated in Ukraine's surprise fall counteroffensive. In recent months, Russian forces began ramping up pressure against Kupiansk again, reportedly aiming to encircle this key logistics hub.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kateryna Denisova
