A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with French military personnel at the Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur Airbase in Saint-Sauveur, France, on March 18, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
France will deploy Rafale fighter jets equipped with supersonic nuclear warheads along its border with Germany in 2035, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on March 18 at the Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur Airbase, according to BFMTV.
The move comes as the U.S. shifts its focus away from Europe and Ukraine, signaling that the continent may not be able to rely on Washington for its future security.
By 2035, Luxeuil will be the first base to host the next-generation Rafale fighter jet and its hypersonic nuclear missile, a crucial part of the ongoing modernization of France’s nuclear deterrent, Macron said.
The Dassault Rafale, a fourth-generation French fighter jet developed by Dassault Aviation, has been in service with the French Air Force since 2000. Its naval variant, the Rafale M, serves as the primary combat aircraft for the French Navy.
The Rafale can fly at supersonic speeds without an afterburner and take off from runways as short as 400 meters. The aircraft is powered by two engines.
Two new Rafale squadrons — nearly 40 aircraft — will be stationed at the airbase near Luxeuil-les-Bains, which will receive 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in modernization funding from the French government.
By 2035, around 2,000 military and civilian personnel will be stationed at the base, according to Macron.
The French president also confirmed that France would “increase and accelerate orders for Rafales” amid shifting geopolitical realities.
Western leaders and defense officials previously warned about the threat emanating from Russia amid Europe's current lack of military preparedness.
Western intelligence agencies have also warned that Russia may find the opportunity to launch a large-scale war on Europe within five years.
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.
Yuliia Taradiuk
