"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.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
In this screengrab taken from aerial video footage, smoke rises from Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, which has been under heavy bombardment daily since Russia launched a new offensive in the region, on May 17, 2024. (Libkos/Getty Images)
Almost 80% of buildings in Vovchansk have been destroyed or damaged after Russia launched its offensive against the town, a joint investigation by Bellingcat and AFP published on Oct. 28 showed.
The once 17,000-strong town, located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast, became heavily contested following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Vovchansk endured a Russian occupation until the 2022 autumn Ukrainian counter-offensive liberated the town, only to face heavy fighting again after Russia began a new push in May 2024, forcing many residents to flee their homes.
Talking to journalists, the civilians recounted harrowing stories of escape from Russian occupiers, who, on occasion, deliberately targeted civilians during their attempts to flee.
According to the report, a library, a school, and a church were among the many destroyed buildings.
Some 60% of all buildings in the town were destroyed, and 18% were partially damaged, Bellingcat and AFP said, citing satellite imagery. As of late September, only 22% of the buildings remained intact.
Despite Russia’s surprise assault in May, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses.
Since then, the intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors in Ukraine's east near Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, and Toretsk.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian tactics usually entail flattening towns and villages with artillery barrages and bombs before moving in to "capture" the ruined settlements.
For example, no buildings were left intact in the Donetsk Oblast town of Toretsk as a result of the Russian onslaught, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Oct. 14.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
George Ivanchenko
