"(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.
Finnish and Nato flags flutter at the courtyard of the Foreign Ministry in Helsinki, Finland on April 4, 2023. (Antti Hämäläinen / Lehtikuva / AFP via Getty Images)
A 20-year-old Finnish volunteer soldier was killed in action while fighting for Ukraine, Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat reported on April 15.
The soldier left Finland several months ago to join Ukrainian forces as a volunteer. He was killed in eastern Ukraine, but exact circumstances remain unclear.
Finland’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that a Finnish citizen was either killed or went missing on April 13.
Jussi Tanner, head of consular affairs at Finland's Foreign Ministry, said Finnish officials are working closely with Ukraine to obtain more information.
Numerous other Finnish volunteers have died in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, including former politician Ville Mykkanen, who was was killed in action in Aug. 2024.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Asami Terajima
