"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.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
A Ukrainian trainee (C) and a French military instructor (R) move toward a take-off runway for a flight onboard an Alpha Jet fighter jet at a French Army air base in southwestern France on June 14, 2024. Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine's French-provided Mirage 2000 fighter jets took part in repelling a Russian air attack on Ukraine for the first time on March 7, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault overnight, firing 67 missiles of various types and deploying 194 drones.
Ukraine's air defenses intercepted 34 missiles and 100 drones, with anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups contributing to the effort.
Fighter jets, including F-16s and French Mirage 2000s, were also deployed.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed on Feb. 6 that the first Mirage 2000-5s pledged to Kyiv had arrived in Ukraine.
The jets were part of a military aid package announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in June 2024, which included pilot training.
Macron did not disclose the total number of aircraft France would supply.
The Mirage 2000, a fourth-generation supersonic fighter, was first introduced by Dassault Aviation in the 1970s.
The Mirage 2000-5 variant, introduced in 1999, features upgraded avionics, improved air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, and an advanced sensor and control system.
The deployment of Mirage 2000 jets marks a significant step in Ukraine's air defense strategy as it continues to strengthen its capabilities against ongoing Russian attacks.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
