"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 flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan seen in the gallery of flags of the participating countries in the framework of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 6, 2024. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia was behind the February cyberattack on Azerbaijani media, Ramid Namazov, head of the Azerbaijani parliament's commission on countering hybrid threats, said on May 2, the APA news agency reported.
According to Namazov, the investigation found that the cyberattack against Azerbaijan that took place on Feb. 20, was carried out by the infamous APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, widely believed to be linked to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
"The activities of APT29, which is engaged in cyber espionage, are mainly directed against government agencies, foreign diplomatic missions, as well as political, defense, energy, media and other critical areas," the lawmaker said.
Namazov suggested that the attack was a retaliation for the closure of the Russian House in Baku in early February and the possible shutdown of the Azerbaijani branch of Sputnik radio.
"It is because of these processes that this politically motivated incident of cyber interference took place," he added.
Azerbaijan, who has maintained historical ties with Russia, has seen relations with Moscow dwindle following the Dec. 25 crash of Flight J2-8243, which killed 38 people. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of causing the crash.
Russian hacker groups have engaged in various forms of cyber warfare throughout the full-scale war, including cyberattacks against Ukraine, hacks of civilian infrastructure in Europe, and interference in foreign elections.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
