Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support" for Ukraine's accession, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"(T)he presence at the Victory Parade of a country that bombs cities, hospitals, and daycares, and which has caused the deaths and injuries of over a million people over three years, is a shame," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
"According to the participants of the performances, their goal is to remind the civilized world of the barbaric actions of Moscow, which for many years and decades has systematically violated international law," a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
Members of youth military-patriotic clubs exercise with gas masks during a military-patriotic festival in the Tank Park in Saint Petersburg on 29 Sept. 2023. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been hospitalized with chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk said during a Dec. 13 press briefing.
A total of 4,800 incidents involving chemical weapons, including tear gas and chemical agents typically intended for riot control, have been documented against Ukrainian forces since the war began, said Vlasiuk, who serves with the Support Forces’ Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Command, at a briefing in Kyiv.
Russian forces deliberately conceal their use of such weapons under the cover of "intense artillery, rocket, and bomb attacks," making it difficult to track, collect samples, and investigate these violations for prosecution against Russia.
In an interview with the Kyiv Independent in October, Vlasiuk said the lack of specific equipment has hindered the Ukrainian military’s ability to identify new or mixed types of gases and develop effective protective measures for its personnel.
He added that since the invasion began, more than 2,000 servicemen showing symptoms of chemical poisoning have been treated in military and civilian medical facilities for varying levels of exposure to known or unidentified substances.
"As for the deceased servicemen, unfortunately, we now have three such fatal cases," he said.
"Currently, the intensity of K-51 tear gas grenade use has somewhat decreased due to the climate, as temperature drops reduce their effectiveness," he added.
He noted that the use of K-51 tear gas grenades by Russian forces has recently decreased due to colder temperatures, which reduce their effectiveness.
"These means are prohibited for use. Ukraine, as a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and its Armed Forces, which safeguard its independence and sovereignty, fully comply with international law and the requirements of the Convention."
His remarks come after the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a United Nations watchdog, confirmed on Nov. 18 that riot control agents have been used on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The OPCW reported that Russian drones have deployed gas grenades into Ukrainian dugouts and trenches, forcing soldiers into open fields where they are left vulnerable to drone strikes and artillery fire.
Asami Terajima
