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.
Combat footage in the Niu-York sector in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, in footage published on Sept. 6, 2024. (12th Azov Brigade)
The 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade helped to stabilize the previously "catastrophic" situation in Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast, unblocking surrounded Ukrainian soldiers and regaining part of the settlement, the brigade said on Sept. 6.
Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
"At the time the brigade was deployed to the area, the situation on the front line was catastrophic," the Azov Brigade said on X.
The 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov, together with adjacent units, is fighting in the village of New York, Donetsk region.
In order to improve the tactical situation in the Toretsk sector, the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov was engaged in defensive and offensive operations in… pic.twitter.com/zMKeaVtO5Z
"However, thanks to the high morale, courage, and professionalism of the brigade's fighters, Azov managed to stabilize the situation, regain control of part of Niu-York, and unblock the Defense Forces, which were surrounded by enemy troops."
The Azov Brigade nevertheless acknowledged that the situation in the settlement remains tense as Russian forces conducted up to 15 ground assaults in the unit's area of responsibility within a day.
Russia has been pushing deeper into Niu-York over the past weeks in an attempt to encroach on the important town of Toretsk. While Moscow has repeatedly claimed a full capture of Niu-York, the Azov Brigade refuted the statement, saying that Ukrainian forces continue holding the defenses.
Ukraine's success in the area appears to be corroborated by the crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring service, which shows Ukrainian forces regaining ground in northern Niu-York and in neighboring Nelipivka between Sept. 4 and 5.
The success in the area would be a welcome boost to Ukrainian forces, who have been gradually losing ground in Donetsk Oblast as Moscow's troops push toward the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
The battlefield situation near Niu-York and Nelipivka in Donetsk Oblast south of Torets as of Sept. 5, 2024, according to DeepState. The red area denotes Russian-occupied territories; the blue area is recently liberated by Ukrainian troops. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)
As heavy battles continued in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, seizing over 100 settlements.
Kyiv claimed the operation helped to divert Russian forces from some areas and relieve the pressure on Ukrainian troops in Donetsk Oblast, though acknowledging Moscow continues to focus its efforts toward Pokrovsk.
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.
Asami Terajima
