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."
Ukrainian serviceman firing a machine gun at a firing range, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, March 15, 2023. (Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russia will likely struggle to replace the counter-battery radars it has lost in Ukraine as these systems depend on supplies of high-tech electronics halted by international sanctions, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on March 31.
"These systems are relatively few in number but are a significant force multiplier," the ministry wrote. "They allow commanders to rapidly locate and strike enemy artillery."
Russian troops have lost at least six ZOOPARK-1M counter-battery radars and likely have a very limited number of them left in Ukraine, according to the ministry's latest intelligence update.
The counter-battery radars "are vulnerable to being detected and destroyed" as they have "an active electromagnetic signature," reads the update.
Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have focused on neutralizing the enemy's counter-battery radars and will likely prioritize rebuilding their stocks, it adds.
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.
Illia Ponomarenko
