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 fire is seen burning in the city of Kazan in Russia's Tatarstan Republic on Jan. 20, 2025. (Telegram/War_Monitor)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A fire erupted in the city of Kazan in Russia's Tatarstan republic overnight on Jan. 20 amid a Ukrainian drone attack on the city, Russian Telegram channels reported.
Videos postedto social media appear to show a large fire ablaze following a drone attack. Multiple explosions were reported in the city around 5:30 a.m. local time.
Reports indicate that the explosions and fire originated in the Aviastroitelny district of the city, reportedly targeting the Kazan Aviation Plant. The plant, which was sanctioned by the European Union in 2023, is known for manufacturing Tu-160 strategic and Tu-22 long-ranger bomber aircraft, among other civilian aircraft.
Russian Telegram media channels also reportedthat drones appear to have been targeting nearby Borisoglebskoye airfield which houses several fuel storage tanks.
Tatarstan's press service claimed that no damage had been caused as a result of the attack, adding that all the drones had been successfully downed.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reporting nor verify the claims made by Russian officials.
Rosaviatsiya, the country's Federal Air Transport Agency, said that Kazan International Airport has suspended flights amid the attack. Begishevo airport, located east of the city in nearby Nizhnekamsk, as well as Izhevsk's airport northeast of Kazan also had its flights suspended.
Kazan – lying over 900 kilometers (560 miles) east of the Ukrainian border – is located in the Russian republic of Tatarstan, which has previously been the target of Ukrainian drone strikes.
Ukraine has regularly attempted to disrupt Russia's military supply-chain through the use of drone attack. The country's forces regularly targetoil refineries that contribute to Russia's war effort.
Overnight on Jan. 18, Ukrainian forces attacked oil depots in Russia's Tula and Kaluga oblasts, according to the General Staff and the Kyiv Independent's source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR).
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
