"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.
A screenshot of a video showing Oscar Jenkins captured by Russian forces, published in late December 2024.
Canberra is making "urgent inquiries" about the status of Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins, a volunteer soldier captured by Russia while fighting for Ukraine, after reports of his death, the 7News outlet wrote on Jan. 14.
Undisclosed sources in Ukraine told 7News that the body of Jenkins, a 32-year-old teacher from Melbourne whose capture was reported in December, has been found. He is believed to have been executed by his Russian captors.
Australian officials are yet to confirm Jenkins' death, while Australia's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador to "seek information" and urge Moscow to comply with international law.
7News reported "speculations" that Jenkins' body has been found but is yet to be officially identified, without providing details on the circumstances of the body's discovery. Ukrainian authorities are said to be working to verify the reports.
The Kyiv Independent has contacted the Australian Embassy in Kyiv and the Ukrainian authorities but has not received a response at the time of publication.
The Geneva Conventions mandate all warring parties to treat prisoners of war (POW) with respect and dignity, while executing POWs is considered a gross violation of international law and a war crime. Russia has been repeatedly accused of summarily executing Ukrainian POWs throughout the war.
Moscow calls foreign volunteers "mercenaries" and claims they are not entitled to protection under the Geneva Conventions.
A spokesperson of the Australian Foreign Ministry told the local media that the government has "grave concerns for Mr Jenkins's welfare."
If confirmed, this would be the first Australian volunteer fighter captured and executed by Russia during the full-scale war. At least six other Australians are believed to have been killed while fighting on Ukraine's side.
In a video that emerged on Russian Telegram channels in late December, Jenkins is seen in military fatigues, interrogated by Russian captors. The man behind the camera asks the captive about his name and background and whether he wants to live while beating him over the head.
Jenkins, who reportedly served in Ukraine's International Legion, introduces himself in the video as a biology teacher who wanted to help Ukraine and is now based near Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian city in Donetsk Oblast, around 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Kyiv and 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the front line.
Unlike most other foreigners volunteering to join Ukraine's resistance against Russia, Jenkins has had no military experience. The Australian media described the man as "much loved" by his community in Australia, a talented cricket and football player who studied biomedical sciences before working as a lecturer in China. He is believed to have traveled to Ukraine in 2024.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kateryna Denisova
