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."
People walk along an alley of graves of Ukrainian soldiers at Lukianivskyi cemetery on Oct. 28, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine's 128th Mountain Assault Brigade reported on Nov. 6 that a Russian missile attack had killed 19 of their soldiers, likely referring to the Nov. 3 strike on a front-line village during a military award ceremony.
The brigade didn't provide any further details and urged not to spread "unverified, often fake information" before the end of the investigation.
"The best of our fighters died... We express our sincere condolences to their families and promise to avenge our brothers a hundredfold," the brigade said on Facebook.
Ukrainian media first reported on the attack on Nov. 4, citing their unnamed sources. Online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda wrote that the Russian attack could have killed over 20 soldiers gathered to receive honors.
Following the Ukrainska Pravda report, the State Bureau of Investigation also said that Russia had launched an Iskander missile at a village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast the day before, killing soldiers of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade and civilians.
The attack damaged around 30 houses and outbuildings in the settlement, the bureau said, adding that its officers opened a criminal case in connection with this incident.
An internal probe has been initiated against military officials responsible for organizing an event to mark Missile Forces and Artillery Day near the front line, the bureau added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the reports the next day, saying that the tragedy "could have been avoided."
Zelensky promised to implement changes in the armed forces to address negligence, Soviet-era practices, and bureaucracy.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
