"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.
Footage that purports to show the aftermath of a drone attack against Bryansk, Russia, overnight on April 28, 2025. (Astra/Telegram)
Editor's note: The story is being updated.
An overnight drone strike targeted a key Russian electronics plant in the city of Bryansk, Russian Telegram channels and a Ukrainian official claimed on April 28.
Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed that Ukrainian forces launched a "massive attack" against the region, with Russian air defenses allegedly intercepting and destroying 102 drones.
"Unidentified" drones targeted the Kremniy-El plant, a major facility specializing in microelectronics for Russia’s military-industrial complex, said Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Russian Telegram channels supported this assertion, which was not confirmed by local authorities.
The plant produces components for missile systems such as the Topol-M, Bulava, and Iskander, as well as for radars, electronic warfare systems, drones, and the onboard electronics of military aircraft, according to Russian open sources.
Images and videos posted on Telegram showed fires burning in parts of the city overnight, with residents reporting flashes in the sky.
Local media reported at least 10 to 15 explosions in Bryansk, with damage to civilian infrastructure, vehicles, and residential buildings. Bogomaz claimed that one civilian was killed and another injured in the attacks.
The Ukrainian forces have not yet commented on the attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Bryansk lies around 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial facilities in the rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Kateryna Hodunova
