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 are putting out the fire caused by Russia's overnight drone attack against port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast on Sept. 26, 2023. (Oleh Kiper/Telegram)
Russia launched a total of 38 Shahed-136/131 drones at Ukraine overnight on Sept. 26, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 26 drones.
The attack hit port infrastructure in Odesa Oblast's southern Izmail district, wounding two men, Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Sept. 26.
The two-hour-long attack damaged a checkpoint building, warehouses, and over 30 vehicles, according to the regional governor.
The port of Izmail is located just across the Danube River from the border with Romania.
Since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, river and sea ports, and grain stockpiles. In September, Bucharest found fragments of Russian drones on Romanian territory several times.
Kiper said most drones that targeted Odesa Oblast were shot down by air defenses but didn’t specify the number.
Six out of 26 drones were downed over southern Mykolaiv Oblast, neighboring Odesa Oblast, Vitalii Kim, the oblast governor, said on Telegram.
The official reported that drone debris fell on an agricultural enterprise in the Bereznehuvate community, some 80 kilometers northeast of Mykolaiv, causing a fire. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties.
Air defenses destroyed four more drones over Cherkasy Oblast, but an infrastructure facility in the region was hit, wrote Governor Ihor Taburets. No casualties were reported.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Francis Farrell
