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.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks during his press conference at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, on Sept. 16, 2022, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
In a video address on Sept. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a partial mobilization. It will primarily target the Russian Armed Forces' reserve personnel. "Mobilization measures will begin today," Putin said.
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. Putin once again saber rattled, adding that using nuclear arms remains an option for the Kremlin.
"When its territorial integrity is threatened, Russia will use everything it can, this is not a bluff," Putin said.
Putin's speech was followed by an address by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu said that the initial plan is to draw nearly 300,000 new soldiers into the army ranks. "The mobilization potential of Russia is 25 million people," Shoigu said.
He also added that Russia lost around 6,000 soldiers, while 90% of those injured are cured and are back in the army.
In early August, the Pentagon said that Russia had up to 80,000 soldiers dead, wounded, or captured. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia has lost 55,110 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24.
The statements by top Russian officials come days after Kyiv's lighting counteroffensive pushed Russian troops out of Kharkiv Oblast. Russian defenses effectively collapsed in Kharkiv Oblast, while Ukraine has confirmed entry in Luhansk Oblast, which was entirely occupied since June.
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