"(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.
Australia is providing Ukraine with Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended-Range (JDAM-ER) glide bombs kits following their withdrawal from service from the Royal Australian Air Force, Australian Defense Magazine reported on Nov. 1.
JDAMs are wing kits that convert simple free-falling bombs into guided ammunition, improving accuracy thanks to a GPS helping the bomb adjust its course while approaching the target.
Once dropped, the bomb deploys wings, allowing it to glide up to 72 kilometers, tripling the range of the original weapon, according to Bloomberg.
Earlier this year in July, Australia announced 250 million Australian dollars ($168 million) in military assistance for Ukraine, in what was the largest package of aid the country has provided since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Since then, Australia said on Oct. 16 that the country will donate 49 "soon-to-be-retired" U.S.-made Abrams tanks, Australian media outlet ABC News reported.
According to Australian Defense Magazine, an unspecified number of JDAM-ERs were delivered to Ukraine, although it was not immediately clear as to when the weapons were delivered.
The Kyiv Independent has not been able to independently verify the munitions transfer and Kyiv has not commented on their delivery.
The delivery of the munitions falls in line the Australian government's Defence’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan, which revealed on Oct. 30 that the country withdrew its inventory of Australian-built 225-kg JDAM-ER glide bombs in 2021.
The reported delivery of JDAMs comes as Russian KAB guided aerial bombs continue to decimate Ukrainian cities on the front line. Transforming older, predominantly Soviet-era aerial bombs into 500-kg guided bombs continues to damage civilian infrastructure while causing civilian casualties.
Throughout the full-scale war, Ukraine has already used U.S.-made Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) guided kits for aerial bombs, which were first delivered in February 2023.
During a visit to Kyiv in April 2024, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles previously announced that the country was "providing critical air-to-ground precision munitions and short-range air defense systems."
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Australia has provided Ukraine with more than $1 billion in aid, including $866 million in military assistance.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Martin Fornusek
