"(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.
Soldier of 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” walks in the trench in Serebryansky Forest in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine on Oct. 12, 2023. (Elizabeth Servatynska/Аzov Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Azov Regiment commander Denys Prokopenko criticized the recent prisoner exchange, expressing disappointment that none of the Azov fighters, who have been in Russian captivity for over two years, were included.
He accused Ukrainian authorities of failing to deliver on their promises, despite having significant negotiating power.
Prokopenko said that Ukraine's Independence Day should be a time to show gratitude to those who defended the country, especially the Azov fighters who fought fiercely in Mariupol against all odds.
“Ukraine has failed this test of gratitude today. The task has not been fulfilled,” Prokopenko wrote on X.
"What are all the pompous words spoken today worth if none of the 900 loyal to Ukraine servicemen who are being treated the absolute worst in Russian captivity have been returned home?"
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Aug. 24 that 115 Ukrainian soldiers were brought back from Russian captivity.
Soldiers from the National Guard, army, navy, and State Border Guard Service were among those returned to Ukraine.
It was the 55th such prisoner exchange, said Lubinets. In total, 3,520 Ukrainian POWs have been brought back home since the beginning of the full-scale war, he added.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Kateryna Hodunova
