"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.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference at the end of the international conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Ukraine, at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, on February 26, 2024. (Gonzalo Fuentes/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The French Foreign Ministry on April 29 accused Russia's military intelligence (GRU) of escalating cyberattacks against French ministries, defense firms, and think tanks since 2021, in order to destabilize the country
France has brought charges against the GRU's APT28 unit — also known as 'Fancy Bear' — based in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, the ministry said in a statement. These charges are not the first by a Western nation, but it is the first time France has accused Russia, relying on its own intelligence.
According to a report by the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), the last APT28 attack was carried out in December, and in 2024, about 4,000 cyberattacks were attributed to Russian actors, which is 15% more than in 2023.
The agency added that in 2024, the number of attacks on French ministries, local administrations, defense companies, aerospace firms, think tanks, and organizations in the financial and economic sector increased sharply.
APT28 attempted to obtain strategic intelligence from organizations across Europe and North America, according to ANSSI.
"These destabilising activities are unacceptable and unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council," the foreign ministry said.
"Alongside its partners, France is determined to use all means at its disposal to anticipate, deter, and respond to Russia's malicious behavior in cyberspace."
APT28's first attacks on France were recorded in 2015, when TV5 Monde was taken off the air due to a hacker attack.
The ministry also claimed that APT28 was behind another cyberattack during the 2017 French presidential election, when emails related to the party and campaign of the winner, Emmanuel Macron, were merged and mixed with disinformation.
The French government decided to make this information public to keep the public informed at a time of uncertainty in domestic politics and connection with the Russian war in Ukraine, the ministry's statement read.
Russian hacker groups have engaged in various forms of cyber warfare throughout the full-scale war, including cyberattacks against Ukraine, hacks of civilian infrastructure in Europe, and interference in foreign elections.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Alisa Yurchenko
