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 view of the Crimean Bridge, built following Russia's illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Residents reported hearing multiple explosions across occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 2, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported.
Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Yevpatoria heard explosions around 1:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports.
According to Crimean Wind, local residents reported an alleged strike on a shipyard used to repair ships for Russia's Black Sea Fleet off the bay of Sevastopol, but the reports are still being clarified.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed head of Sevastopol claimed that air defenses are operational over the city. He later added that occupied Crimea was under threat of ballistic missile attacks.
Photos of falling debris and small fires could be seen in Sevastopol, with reports of power lines damaged. Razvozhayev claimed that the falling debris was a result of downed missiles and drones.
Russian state-run TASS news agency later reported that air defenses had shot down at least four aerial targets throughout the attack.
The Kyiv Independent cannot not verify the claims, and Ukraine has not yet commented on the alleged attack.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea. Overnight on July 26, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed it had hit Russia's Saky military airfield in occupied Crimea.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Chris York
