"(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.
Illustrative purposes only: A view of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, in April 2020. (Getty Images)
Security footage shows that no military personnel were present at a Krivyi Rih restaurant, despite Russian claims of military targets amid a Russian attack on the city on April 4, France 24 reported on April 7.
Russia targeted Kryvyi Rih in a deadly attack on April 4, killing 20 people and injuring 75. Russian media claimed the attack targeted Ukraine's Armed Forces and foreign instructors training them.
No evidence of a military meeting in Kryvyi Rih on April 4 was found, Gulliver Cragg, a correspondent at France 24, reported.
"They hit a peaceful residential area. They hit children and civilians with ballistics with cluster bombs," Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration, said on April 7.
Vilkul condemned Russia for claiming it was attacking military targets in Kryvyi Rih.
"Today, video footage has been released around the world, showing the moment of the attack on our city absolutely clearly - no military, no 'commandos', no 'military equipment,' as the lying Russian media wrote," Vilkul said.
The local official decried Russia's April 4 attack on Kryvyi Rih and called for the victims of the attack to be mourned.
"Lying Russian cowards, fighting with children and women — burn in hell!" Vilkul said in response to the security footage.
Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia.
Moscow has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine. Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.
Ukraine has already agreedto a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to theterms. So far, Moscow has refused.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
