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."
Russian ships stationed in Sevastopol, Russian-occupied Crimea, during the celebration of the Black Sea Fleet Day on May 13, 2023. (Russian Defense Ministry's press service)
The Ukrainian military, together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), launched a drone strike against the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. There were dozens of casualties, Ukrainska Pravda news outlet reported, citing their source at the SBU.
"Today's strike on the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is a joint special operation of the SBU counterintelligence units and the Armed Forces of Ukraine," according to Ukrainska Pravda.
The brigade was reportedly struck in the village of Perevalne located about 270 kilometers from the nearest Ukraine-controlled territories on the western side of the Dnipro River. It is also 300 kilometers away from the nearest Kyiv-controlled areas on the eastern side of the river.
The attack which involved "a number of drones" hit ammunition depots and damaged Russian military equipment.
Adviser to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak says that the Ukrainian military is making progress on the southern front line and is seeking to take fire control of the "land corridor to Crimea."
"The stakes are already clear: all Russian supply lines, including railroads, are at stake. This means one thing: the Russian army is on the verge of losing its strategic positions," Podolyak said оn Twitter.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
