"(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 general view of the Crimean Bridge which connects Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar Krai on July 25, 2023. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated
Four were injured, local officials claimed, as Russia's Krasnodar Krai was allegedly targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on May 3.
Ukraine regularly strikes military targets within Russia as Moscow continues to wage its war against Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry on May 2 claimed 89 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over occupied Crimea and another 23 over the waters of the Black Sea.
Four were injured in Novorossiysk, among them two children, local officials claimed, adding that three residential buildings and a grain terminal were damaged in the Russian port city. A state of emergency was declared in Novorossiysk due to the attack, local authorities said.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 170 Ukrainian drones overnight on May 3, mainly over Crimea and Krasnodar Krai, along with several missiles and 14 naval drones in the Black Sea.
On April 25, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said a foreign vessel was seized for allegedly being involved in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied territories.
Debris from downed drones was found in the villages of Taman, Yurovka, Tsibanobalka, and in the town of Anapa, Russian officials claimed.
A fire was reported in Taman, and windows were reportedly shattered in three houses.
Naval drones were spotted off the coast of Novorossiysk, Mayor Andrey Kravchenko claimed.
"In the waters near Novorossiysk, an attack by drones and unmanned boats of the Ukrainian regime is being repelled," he said at 3:31 a.m., local time.
Krasnodar Krai is located east of Crimea, separated by the Kerch Strait at the closest point between the two territories.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the reported strikes, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on May 1 that Ukrainian drones struck and destroyed more than 83,000 Russian targets in April, resulting in an 8% increase from March.
"In April, units of unmanned systems of the Ukrainian Defense Forces achieved decent results in destroying the enemy," Syrskyi said.
Russian attacks on Ukraine regularly target civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings.
At least two people were killed and 33 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine on May 1, regional authorities reported.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Kateryna Hodunova
