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."
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Dnipro, Ukraine, on April 10, 2025. (Ukraine's Emergency Servise / Telegram)
A Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro killed a 42-year-old man and injured nine others on April 10, authorities reported.
"A large-scale fire broke out at the site of the strike. There is damage on the territory of a civilian facility," Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram.
Among the injured is a 55-year-old woman in serious condition. The others are hospitalized in moderate condition. Firefighters continue efforts to contain the blaze.
The strike destroyed part of a storage facility belonging to Biosphere Corporation, a Ukrainian manufacturer of household goods. Company founder Andrii Zdesenko said the attack caused serious damage.
"We are now working to eliminate the fire to prevent it from spreading to our production facilities," he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city and a critical logistics and humanitarian hub in the country's central-east, has faced repeated Russian missile and drone attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The attacks come as Moscow continues to refuse a U.S. proposal for a total 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Kyiv has already said it is ready to accept a full ceasefireonce Russia also complies with the terms.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
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