"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
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.
Illustrative photo showing a Storm Shadow/SCALP missile loading on a Rafale, a French multirole fighter aircraft. (Thierry Wurtz/MBDA)
Ukrainian forces have hit three Russian command posts using Western-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and GMLRS rockets, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Oct. 5.
The attacks struck the command posts of the 35th and 27th separate motor rifle brigades, as well as that of the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Russian Armed Forces, the General Staff said in a post on Telegram.
It did not specify the locations of the strikes or the dates on which they were carried out, only saying they happened "the other day."
"The results of the strikes are being clarified," the report said, adding: "The attack was carried out by Storm Shadow missiles and GMLRS rockets.
"The destruction of the occupiers continues. Next will be..."
U.S.-supplied GMLRS rockets have a range of around 70 kilometers and are fired from HIMARS launchers.
They were a game-changer for Ukraine when they first arrived in the summer of 2022, allowing Ukraine to target Russian forces in occupied territories far more accurately than they had previously.
Ukraine has previously used the British–supplied Storm Shadow missiles, with a range of up to 250 kilometers (150 miles), to hit Russian military targets in Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia.
The Telegraph reported in August, citing unnamed sources, that the U.K. was privately in favor of allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in strikes on Russia itself, but was unwilling to publicly press for such a change in policy due to fears of backlash from the U.S.
Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Washington has claimed that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with its weapons could escalate the situation.
Hopes had been high last month that Ukraine would finally be granted permission to strike deep inside Russian territory with the weapons, but the issue was once again put on hold.
In the meantime, Ukraine has been striking targets deep inside Russia with its own domestically-produced weapons, most recently taking out several Russian ammunition storage sites.
In September, Ukraine targeted depots in the Russian towns of Tikhoretsk and Toropets with drones, setting ablaze over 30,000 tons of ammunition, which allegedly included ballistic missiles.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kateryna Hodunova
