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.
Illustrative purposes only: International and internal passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation. (Aleksandr Zubkov/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Aug. 19 allowing foreigners and stateless persons to apply for temporary residence in Russia on "moral grounds," according to the Russian state-controlled news agency TASS.
This move follows Putin's decision in January to simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for foreigners who sign a military service contract with the Russian Armed Forces or "separate military units."
Under the new decree, applicants for temporary residence do not need to provide proof of Russian language skills, knowledge of Russian history, or understanding of Russian legislation.
The decree also removes restrictions based on state quotas for temporary residence permits. Applicants must reject their home country's policies that promote so-called "destructive neoliberal ideological attitudes" contrary to traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.
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The specific values are determined by each Russian oblast's policy, while the Russian government will identify the states whose policies are considered "destructive."
As early as September, Russia's Foreign Ministry will start issuing three-month visas for applications based on "moral reasons."
In May 2022, Putin signed a decree simplifying Russian citizenship procedures for orphans from Ukraine who had been abducted from occupied territories.
In July 2022, another decree made it easier for all Ukrainian residents to acquire Russian citizenship, a move condemned by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
Putin also signed a similar decree regarding Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Moldova citizens in December 2023.
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.
Chris York
