"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 Chinese flag was seen in the financial district of Shanghai on April 7, 2025. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
A Chinese national captured by Ukrainian forces said he paid 300,000 rubles (roughly $3,500) to a middleman in China to join the Russian military in exchange for the promise of citizenship, Ukraine's Luhansk military unit press service told Ukrainian Pravda on April 9.
The man was among two Chinese nationals taken prisoner near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka during a clash between Ukrainian troops and a Russian assault group on April 8.
The Chinese citizen said he received training in the occupied part of Luhansk Oblast alongside other Chinese nationals. He reportedly learned basic skills without an interpreter, relying instead on hand gestures and a mobile translator.
Ukrainian troops captured the Chinese citizen after a Russian assault team came under heavy fire. The detainee told investigators his main goal was to become a military officer and gain Russian citizenship.
The man also said others in the unit had prior legal problems in China. His family was aware of his travel to Russia, though he had left China posing as a tourist.
The Ukrainian military confirmed the man's identity and citizenship, and the prisoner is cooperating with Ukrainian investigators.
The press service emphasized that all the procedures are in line with the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
Following the capture, Zelensky instructed Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to contact Beijing. Ukraine summoned China's chargé d'affaires to demand an official explanation and express condemnation.
Beijing responded by saying it was "verifying" the claims, reiterating that Chinese citizens are prohibited from participating in foreign armed conflicts.
"The Chinese government has always asked its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict and avoid involvement in any form," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
Zelensky said the apparent presence of Chinese nationals in the ranks of the Russian military is further proof that Moscow is not seeking peace and continues to draw support from countries like China, Iran, and North Korea.
The U.S. State Department called the incident "disturbing," adding that it is closely monitoring the situation. "We're aware of those reports," spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on April 8.
China, which portrays itself as a neutral party in the war, has become the Kremlin's largest supplier of dual-use goods essential for weapons manufacturing.
Unlike North Korean troops, who have fought on Russian soil, the Chinese nationals were captured on Ukrainian territory, marking a potential escalation in foreign involvement.
North Korea sent around 12,000 troops to Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2024 to reinforce Russian lines after a Ukrainian cross-border offensive. Kyiv has said it captured two North Korean soldiers in January, estimating 4,000 casualties among the deployed units.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Denisova
