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.
A Su-34 in the sky over Kubinka airfield on Aug. 29, 2020. (Mihail Tokmakov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ukraine's Armed Forces shot downed 13 Russian aircraft in February, the Defense Ministry reported on March 1.
This is the biggest number of planes Ukraine managed to destroy in a single month since October 2022, according to the ministry.
The 13 aircraft downed in February include 10 Su-34 fighter jets, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one A-50 early warning and control aircraft, the report said.
"We are grateful to our soldiers for their efficient work. And to our partners - for strengthening the air defense capabilities of Ukraine," the ministry said.
Earlier on Feb. 29 Ukraine shot down three Su-34 jets in a single day, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed to the Kyiv Independent. Each plane is estimated to cost around $36 million.
Russia has decreased the usage of A-50, as it lost two aircraft of this type in January and February, Ihnat said on television on Feb. 27.
One A-50 aircraft costs around $330 million.
According to the General Staff, Ukraine has downed a total of 345 Russian planes since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kateryna Hodunova
