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."
Photo for illustrative purposes. Vapour escapes from processing complex during operations at the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim oil refinery, operated by Bashneft PAO, in Ufa, Russia, on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. Bashneft distributes petroleum products and petrochemicals around the world and in Russia via filling stations. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Drones struck Russia's Ryazan and Voronezh oblasts overnight on May 1, causing a fire to break out at a Ryazan oil refinery, the oblasts' governors reported.
According to the Russian Telegram news channel Astra, an oil refinery in Ryazan Oblast was hit by drones during the night, causing a fire at the facility. Ryazan Oblast Governor Pavlo Malkov said an "inspection is ongoing" at the site.
Voronezh Oblast Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported that Russian air defense units shot down a drone over the suburbs of Voronezh.
"As a result of falling debris, the glass in the building under construction was broken," Gusev said.
No casualties have been reported in either attack.
Previous attacks and fires at the oil refinery in Ryazan Oblast were reported in March and April, as Ukrainian forces launched a series of successful drone strikes targeting Russia's fuel industry.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Igor Kossov
