"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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. A view of night lights in Moscow, Russia on Nov. 16, 2022. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia intercepted 19 drones headed towards Moscow overnight on May 5-6, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on May 6.
This marks the second night in a row that drones reportedly targeted Russia's capital. The attacks come just days ahead of the city's Victory Day parade and Russia's proposed temporary ceasefire, set for May 7-9.
According to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Shot, debris from one of the drones hit a residential building in the southern part of the city, with the shockwave shattering windows on the upper floors and in a nearby flower shop.
The Ukrainian government has not commented on the alleged drone attack. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify Russia's claims at the time of publication.
Air defense units intercepted 19 drones flying towards Moscow from different directions, Sobyanin claimed. No casualties have been reported.
The drone threat triggered temporary shutdowns at the region's Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo airports. In addition to all four Moscow airports, restrictions were also introduced at the Grabtsevo airport in Russia's Kaluga Oblast.
The reported attack comes the same week of Russia's May 9 Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. The Kremlin has invited foreign guests to attend Moscow's Victory Day parade, though many Western officials have declined.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also unilaterally declared a "humanitarian truce" from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11. President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the proposal as a "theatrical performance," accusing Putin of manipulating the international community by declaring brief ceasefires that it has no intention of following.
Ukraine has agreed to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire on all hostilities for 30 days, but Russia continues to refuse.
While Zelensky and other world leaders remain skeptical of Putin's three-day truce, U.S. President Donald Trump on May 5 praised the gesture, saying that the brief ceasefire "doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot, if you know where we started from."
Zelensky. warned on May 3 that Russia could stage provocations, such as "arsons, explosions, or other actions," around the Victory Day holiday and attempt to blame Ukraine.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Chris York
