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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the EU-Ukraine Foreign Ministers' meeting in Kyiv on Oct. 2. (Source: Office of the President)
In the upcoming winter, Russia will attempt to demolish Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with more attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening briefing on Oct. 6.
Zelensky said Russia will try to "bypass" the country’s air defense systems.
"They cannot understand that Ukraine will not be conquered anyway. But (Russian troops) will try to launch more attacks and have more attempts to bypass our defenses," Zelensky said.
"We realize the threat completely," he added.
Russian forces attempted to cripple Ukraine's energy network with massive strikes during from October to February, leading to frequent blackouts and a lack of heating across the country.
Zelensky’s repeated warning comes as, on Sept. 21, Russia launched its first mass strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March.
Energy facilities in western and central Ukraine have been damaged, and there were partial blackouts in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts, according to Ukraine’s state energy operator Ukrenergo.
During his briefing, Zelensky said he heard the reports of military and officials responsible for the protection of the energy systems and highlighted the importance for the regional authorities to prepare for potential winter attacks.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine is taking "more steps" to strengthen its air defense systems in cooperation with partners.
On Oct. 5, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that his country will send Ukraine another Patriot air defense system "to help ward off aerial and drone attacks during the coming winter months."
"Winning this winter, going through all the difficulties, and protecting our people is very important," Zelensky said during the briefing.
Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher.
Alexander Query
