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.
U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace departs following the first meeting of the cabinet of ministers under U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss at 10 Downing Street in London on Sept. 7, 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's breaking of his own promises not to mobilize parts of his population is an admission that his invasion is failing, said U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace.
"(Putin) and his defense minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill-equipped and badly led," Wallace said on Sept. 21, following Putin's pre-recorded video address, where he announced partial mobilization in Russia.
In his speech, Putin once again called Kyiv "fascist," said it was Ukraine that invaded Russia in 2014, and hinted that Moscow would annex Russian-occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
But, according to Wallace, no amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that "Ukraine is winning this war."
"The international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah," Wallace said.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
