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.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Italy's Prime Minsiter Georgia Meloni at the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain, Oct. 5, 2023. (Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky/X)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni on the sidelines of the third European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain, Zelensky announced on Oct. 5.
During their bilateral meeting, Zelensky said he and Sanchez discussed a new military aid package from Spain, which is said to include air defenses, artillery, and anti-drone systems.
"We are preparing to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU under the presidency of Spain. Thank you for supporting our endeavor," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
The two leaders also reportedly addressed the provision of energy equipment to Ukraine as the country braces for intensified Russian strikes against the power grid in the coming winter months.
During the meeting with Meloni, Zelensky thanked the Italian prime minister for her country's "principled and consistent support in protecting (Ukraine's) freedom and people."
They also discussed a new tranche of defense assistance from Italy with an emphasis on air defense capabilities, the president said.
Ukraine's head of state arrived in Granada earlier on Oct. 5 as some 50 European leaders convened to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion and other common security issues.
Zelensky said that Kyiv's key priority in the upcoming talks is to strengthen Ukrainian air defense capabilities ahead of the upcoming winter.
"We are working together with partners on enhancing the European security architecture, particularly regional security. Ukraine has substantial proposals in this regard," Zelensky wrote on the social platform X.
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.
Martin Fornusek
