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.
"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Fallen Belarusian volunteer soldier, who fought in the ranks of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Maria Zaitseva. (Maria Zaitseva/Facebook)
Maria Zaitseva, a 24-year-old Belarusian volunteer soldier fighting for Ukraine, was killed in action near the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 17, Nasha Niva reported.
Zaitseva joined the Ukrainian army after the start of Russia's full-scale war and fought with the 2nd International Legion Battalion.
She turned 24 on Jan. 16, a day before she was killed by Russian forces.
In August 2020, Zaitseva participated in the protests in Minsk against alleged presidential election fraud in Belarus. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed to have won elections by a landslide with 80% of the vote, provoking nationwide protests and a subsequent regime crackdown on dissent.
During protests, fragments of a flash grenade severely injured Zaitseva's arm and head. Her photo from the protests with her face covered in blood went viral.
"Gravely injured during the 2020 Belarus protests, she gave her life for freedom," said Belarusian opposition leader Svitlana Tsikhanouskaya, describing Zaitseva as "an icon of our revolution."
This is utterly heartbreaking. Maria Zaitseva, an icon of our revolution, was killed at just 24 years old while defending 🇺🇦. Gravely injured during the 2020 Belarus protests, she gave her life for freedom. My deepest condolences to her family & friends at this unimaginable loss. pic.twitter.com/i7G7wAITrQ
After being injured, Zaitseva was treated in the Czech Republic, where she underwent several surgeries. She said that the injury caused a hematoma in her brain. She also lost hearing in one ear.
Hundreds of Belarusians have joined the Ukrainian army since 2014, and over 60 of them have been killed in action, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. In Belarus, volunteer fighters risk imprisonment, and the Lukashenko regime harasses their families.
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.
Kate Tsurkan
