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."
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Sumy overnight on March 6, 2024. (Prosecutor General's Office)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed one person and injured at least 10 over the past day, regional authorities said on March 6.
The country came under a large-scale drone attack, with the Air Force reporting 38 of the 42 Russian Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) shot down at night.
Over the past day, Russia targeted a total of 13 Ukrainian oblasts — Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Odesa, Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv and Sumy. Casualties were reported in the latter four regions.
Russia attacked a critical infrastructure facility and two civilian targets in Sumy with kamikaze drones, the city's acting mayor, Artem Kobzar, said.
Seven people, including a 10-year-old boy, were injured as a result of the attack, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
Sumy Oblast Governor Volodymyr Artiukh told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that 13 high-rise buildings were damaged and about 40 cars were destroyed in the city.
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Sumy overnight on March 6, 2024. (Prosecutor General's Office)
Russian troops launched four missiles against the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, injuring one person, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said. A total of 11 high-rise buildings, three private houses, and three administrative buildings were damaged, according to the report.
Two people were injured in Kherson Oblast as a result of Russian attacks, said Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor.
Russian troops launched 18 strikes against multiple settlements in Kherson Oblast, damaging around 11 houses, 10 apartment buildings, critical infrastructure facilities, a museum, and a gas pipeline, Prokudin noted.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian troops attacked the village of Kurylivka in the Kupiansk district, killing a 58-year-old woman, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. A private house caught fire as a result of Russia's strike against the city of Vovchansk, he said.
Overnight, Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 18 drones launched by Russia over Odesa Oblast, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, reported. The debris damaged a recreational facility, a gas pipeline, and residential buildings near Odesa.
In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, a drone attacked an infrastructure facility, leaving several settlements without power, authorities said.
No casualties were reported in the latter two regions.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Daria Shulzhenko
