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."
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for "concrete proposals from both sides" in order for Washington to "move forward" in peace negotiations.
"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, called Witkoff's approach "a very bad idea."
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power."
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
A building in Nikopol damaged by shelling. (Photo via the Telegram channel of Serhii Lysak)
Russian forces shelled Nikopol in Dnipropretrovsk Oblast seven times the night of July 26, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on Telegram.
The attacks damaged civilian infrastructure, including a school, church, and post office, Lysak said. The shelling also damaged a communications company, a pair of two-storey buildings, and power lines.
No injuries or casualties were reported.
Lysak said that in addition to the shelling, Russian forces fired a missile that was shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
"It was probably a Shahed," Lysak said.
Nikopol is positioned opposite the Dnipro River from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, currently under Russian occupation. It is subject to regular shelling by Russian forces.
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.
Daria Shulzhenko
