"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.
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Odesa, Ukraine, on April 16, 2025. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement from the Air Force.
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed at least one civilian and injured at least 27 over the past day, regional authorities reported on April 16.
Moscow's forces attack Ukrainian towns and villages on a daily basis, inflicting civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure with drones, missiles, artillery, and aerial bombs.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 57 of the 97 attack and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force said. Thirty-four decoys disappeared from radars without causing damage, according to the statement.
Two men, aged 39 and 48, were injured during overnight attacks against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
In Donetsk Oblast, five people were injured in Russian attacks over the past day, namely in Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka, Lyman, Koptieve, and Berestov, said the regional governor, Vadym Filashkin.
Five people were injured in Kharkiv Oblast, including a paramedic wounded near Kupiansk when his ambulance was damaged in a Russian airstrike, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
In the village of Slatyne, Russian KAB bombs started a fire and damaged four two-story apartment buildings, a clinic, four garages, and five houses, according to the governor.
Russian attacks injured 11 people over the past day in Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Two high-rise buildings and 11 houses were damaged.
A drone attack against the city of Odesa injured three people, damaged warehouses, and set houses on fire, the State Emergency Service reported.
In Sumy Oblast, a man was killed during a drone attack against the Velyka Pysarivka community, and another was injured in the Krasnopillia community, the regional military administration reported.
In Poltava Oblast, drone debris damaged a power line, temporarily leaving two settlements without electricity, Governor Volodymyr Kohut said. No casualties were reported.
The attacks came as Russia continues to reject a U.S.-mediated proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire. Kyiv reiterated that it would be ready to accept the truce if Moscow agreed to abide by the terms.
Natalia Yermak
