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.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the State Department on Aug. 15, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The U.S. State Department announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine on Aug. 29, including AIM-9M missiles, HIMARS munitions, Javelin systems, and other aid with a total value of $250 million.
The latest tranche further includes 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, mine-clearing equipment, various anti-tank systems and rockets, over 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, ambulances, demolition munitions for obstacle clearing, as well as spare parts, services, training, and transportation.
"Every day, Russia continues to wage a brutal war of conquest that has killed many of Ukraine's civilians and displaced millions of its people," U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said.
"Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes."
The U.S. official also pointed out that Russia's attacks against Ukraine's ports and agricultural infrastructure are escalating hunger and food insecurity worldwide. Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian ports at least eight times since Moscow's unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17.
The U.S. announced its previous military aid package on Aug. 14, including munitions for Patriot air defense systems and HIMARS, artillery shells, and other support in total value of $200 million.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
