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."
Damage to the ambulance post of the village of Stanislav in Kherson Oblast, which was attacked by Russian forces on the monring of Jan. 15, 2024. (Kherson Regional Military Administration / Telegram)
Russian attacks against Ukraine wounded seven people over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported early on Jan. 15.
Civilian casualties were reported in Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts.
Russian forces attacked Kherson Oblast 121 times over the past day, and the city of Kherson was fired on 42 times, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Four firefighters were injured when a Russian attack drone targeted a fire station in the village of Stanislav, Prokudin said.
Russian forces again attacked the village on the morning of Jan. 15, damaging the local ambulance post and injuring a 69-year-old woman in her home, the Kherson Regional Military Administration reported.
Russian forces attacked over 15 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
A 56-year-old man was seriously injured after a mine detonated in a forest near the village of Zoluchiv, which lies less than 20 kilometers from the border with Russia. He is in the hospital in a serious condition, according to Syniehubov.
Deminers found 148 improvised explosive devices and demined 3.3 hectares of land during the day on Jan. 14, Syniehubov said.
Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin also reported that one civilian was injured by a Russian attack on the front-line settlement of Avdiivka.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 19 towns and villages were hit by Russian attacks, Governor Yurii Malashko said. While no casualties were reported, the regional authorities received 13 reports of damage to infrastructure due to the attacks.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a Russian artillery attack on the city of Marhanets damaged two pharmacies, a store, two homes, five farm buildings, and power lines, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Lysak said there were no reports of casualties, but more than 5,000 people were left without electricity.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Toma Istomina
