"(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.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala meets with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, EC President Ursula von der Leyen, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Wroclaw, Poland, on Sept. 19, 2024. (Klaudia Radecka / Getty Images)
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala's X account was hacked on April 8, leading to the publication of false posts including a claim that Russian troops had attacked Czech forces near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.
"The post about the attack on Czech soldiers is not true," government spokesperson Lucie Michut Jesatkova told Reuters.
Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized Russian territory wedged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, does not share a border with Czechia, which lies further southwest in Central Europe.
A map of the Baltic Sea Region. (Lisa Kukharska/The Kyiv Independent)
The false post appeared designed to stoke panic or provoke confusion amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia.
Czechia has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Prague has supplied military aid, including tanks and artillery, accepted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, and consistently supported EU and NATO sanctions against Moscow.
The cyberattack comes as Western intelligence agencies warn of Russia's efforts to sow disinformation, destabilize European democracies, and prepare for potential military escalation within the next five years.
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.
Francis Farrell
