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."
Aftermath of the Russian attack on Kupiansk district in Kharkiv Oblast on 11-12 March, 2024. (Prosecutor General's Office)
A Russian attack on the village of Hlushkivka in Kharkiv Oblast killed one resident and injured three others, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on March 12.
The settlement in Kupiansk dictrict came under fire at about 1:40 p.m. local time.
Two 46-year-old men and a 38-year-old man were injured and one person was killed, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov's update.
Russian aircraft targeted the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast overnight on March 12, dropping a guided bomb on a residential area. No casualties were reported.
Due to its proximity to the border, Kharkiv Oblast and the regional capital have faced near-daily attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Daria Shulzhenko
