Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
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.
A view of occupied Luhansk after an alleged attack on May 27, 2024. (Artem Lysohor/Telegram)
Explosions were reported in Russian-occupied Luhansk in the evening of May 27 as Moscow-installed head of the region Leonid Pasechnik claimed a missile attack on the city.
Telegram channels shared photos and videos showing a major fire in Luhansk.
It broke out near the infrastructure facilities of the former Luhansk Higher Military Aviation School and the nearby aircraft repair plant, Luhansk Oblast Governor Artem Lysohor said.
Russia's Pasechnik said that information on damage and casualties "is being clarified."
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the reports.
Ukraine targeted a Russian military base in Luhansk's suburb of Yuvileine on May 20, Lysohor said.
A week before, a Russian ammunition depot reportedly exploded in the occupied town of Sorokine (Krasnodon) in Luhansk Oblast.
Russia had occupied Luhansk and a significant part of the region since the start of its war in 2014.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Anastasiia Lapatina
