A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
A Russian attack drone hit the protective shelter of the destroyed 4th reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on Feb. 14, 2025. (International Atomic Energy Agency / X)
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest information on the attack.
A Russian attack drone struck the protective shelter of the destroyed 4th reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Feb. 14.
The strike damaged the sarcophagus, but the fire was extinguished and radiation levels remained stable, according to the president. Monitoring efforts continue to assess any potential risks.
"This is a terrorist threat to the entire world," Zelensky said, adding that the damage to the shelter is significant.
"The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today's Russia."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the explosion. The organization reported that a drone struck the shelter's roof.
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Alleged moment of a Russian drone strike on the protective shelter of the destroyed 4th power unit at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Feb. 14, 2025. (President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram).
Chornobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, remains a highly sensitive location. The explosion of the plant's reactor on Apr. 26, 1986, contaminated a vast area spanning Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
The sarcophagus was installed over the 4th reactor in the aftermath of the disaster to contain the uranium, plutonium, and radioactive dust at the site. The protective structure would only last 30 years, with the construction of a new sarcophagus completed in 2017.
"Ukraine is urging the international community to urgently intensify efforts in response to Russia's unprecedented act of nuclear terrorism. The attack on the shelter of the 4th power unit at Chornobyl poses a threat to the entire continent," said Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Zelensky said the attack underscores Russia's continued disregard for global security.
"Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric. This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world," he said.
The engine reportedly from a Russian drone that struck the protective shelter of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on Feb. 14, 2025. (Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation / Telegram)
Russia attacked the station's protective shelter on the day of the Munich Security Conference. Zelensky is leading Ukraine's delegation at the conference, where U.S. President Donald Trump's team is expected to outline its diplomatic strategy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, said Ukraine would provide the U.S. with detailed information on Russia's attack on Chornobyl's protective shelter.
He also noted strong anger at the Munich Security Conference, with attendees expressing genuine outrage over the attack, recalling how the world had helped the Soviet Union during the 1980s disaster.
The Chornobyl plant, located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Kyiv and just 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border with Belarus, was briefly occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the full-scale invasion.
They held the station's staff hostage, creating significant risks to nuclear safety.
On Mar. 31, 2022, Russian troops withdrew from the station. During the occupation, increased radiation levels were recorded due to the movement of heavy machinery that stirred up contaminated dust.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
