Preliminary findings suggest that one of the men killed the other before taking his own life.
Western leaders dismissed the Kremlin's proposal for talks in Istanbul on May 15 as insufficient.
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.
Pope said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace."
Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
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.
Zelensky called a ceasefire the essential first step toward ending the war.
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
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.
In his regular evening address on Jan. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said battles continue in Bakhmut and Soledar, the sites of the fiercest fighting in eastern Donetsk Oblast, and in Kreminna in neighboring Luhansk Oblast.
“Although the enemy has concentrated its greatest forces in this direction, our troops – the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all defense and security forces – are defending the state,” he said, thanking soldiers for their bravery and strength.
Russian militants in eastern Ukraine and Kremlin-run mercenary Wagner Group claimed to have captured Soledar on Jan. 10. Ukraine continues to deny the claims, saying the battle for the salt mining town is ongoing.
Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi reported on Jan. 13 that the Russian forces had shelled Bakhmut 212 times over the past 24 hours.
According to preliminary data, 183 Russian troops have been killed and 137 wounded in the battles for the area, Cherevatyi said.
The Kremlin hopes that capturing Soledar may allow it to encircle Bakhmut.
Control over Soledar could also fuel Russian propaganda over a victory after months of failures and setbacks. It also is needed to achieve Moscow’s goal of seizing the entire territory of Donetsk Oblast, partly occupied by Russia since 2014.

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