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 Dyagilevo airbase in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2013. (Alex Beltyukov/Wikipedia)
Russian authorities claimed Ukrainian drones attacked Ryazan Oblast overnight on Dec. 4, with Telegram channels reporting explosions in the area of the Dyagilevo airbase.
At least four drones were shot down over the western Russian region overnight, Governor Pavel Malkov claimed.
"At the crash site of a downed drone in the Korablinsky district, windows of four nearby houses were damaged. There were no casualties," Malkov claimed. The Korablinsky district lies roughly 60 kilometers (around 40 miles) south of the regional center, Ryazan.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported destroying 35 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including four over Ryazan Oblast.
The Russian news channel Astra wrote that Ryazan residents heard explosions near the Dyagilevo airbase on the city's outskirts. There have been no official comments on the situation in the regional center or the airbase.
Kyiv has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
The Dyagilevo airbase, lying almost 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the Ukrainian border, reportedly hosts the 43rd Center for Combat Training with Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS, Tu-134UBL, and An-26 aircraft, as well as Il-78 tanker planes and a repair plant.
Kyiv's forces have been launching drone attacks ever deeper into Russian territory, targeting military bases and industrial facilities to undermine Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Chris York
