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."
View of Ryazan, Russia, during sunset. Ryazan, Russia. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Ukrainian drones attacked the city of Dzerzhinsk in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast overnight on April 29, Governor Gleb Nikitin said.
Nikitin claimed the drone attack had been repelled above two districts in the region, with no consequences reported.
Russian Telegram channel Shot, reportedly close to Russian security forces, reported explosions in Ryazan, claiming that drones may have targeted an oil refinery.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian air defense shot down 91 Ukrainian drones, including eight over Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and 11 over Ryazan Oblast.
Drones were also downed in Kursk, Oryol, Moscow, Belgorod, Kaluga, Bryansk oblasts, and in Russian-occupied Crimea, the ministry reported.
The Ukrainian forces have not yet commented on the attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Dzerzhinsk lies around 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border, while Ryazan is around 500 kilometers (310 miles) away.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial facilities in the rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war.
In the meantime, Russia continues regularly targeting Ukrainian cities and villages with drones, missiles, glide bombs, and artillery, resulting in heavy civilian casualties.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 37 of the 100 attack and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Forty-seven decoy drones disappeared from radars without causing damage, according to the statement.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chris York
