"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power.”
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"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.
A fire at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Aug. 11, 2024. (Screenshot / President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Aug. 12 that it had been unable to determine the cause of the fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that was started a day earlier.
Ukrainian officials accusedRussian forces on Aug. 11 of setting fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers" at the nuclear plant in an effort to "create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir."
Soon after, President Vlodymyr Zelensky called on the IAEA to hold Russia accountable for the alleged provocation.
"As long as Russian terrorists retain control of the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal," Zelensky said in a Telegram post Aug. 11. "We are waiting for the world's reaction, waiting for the IAEA's reaction," he added.
In response to the fire, the IAEA responded on Aug. 11 that its expert witnesses were "told by ZNPP of an alleged drone attack" on a cooling tower on-site, echoing claims of a drone attack shared by Russian-installed authorities in occupied Zaporizhzhia, CNN reported.
On Aug. 12, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Rossi issued a statement describing damage to the cooling stations, and adding that the agency found no signs of drone debris or evidence that the fire started at the base of the cooling tower.
"The team has not been able to draw definitive conclusions on the basis of the findings and observations so far," the statement from the IAEA read. "The IAEA will continue its overall analysis after additional review and access to the water nozzle distribution level and the cold-water basin."
The IAEA added that nuclear safety at the power plant had not been affected.
"No radioactive material is present in the area of the cooling towers, which is located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the reactor units at ZNPP," the statement added.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said that the fire had been put out in the morning of Aug. 12.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risksthroughout Russia's full-scale war.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Abbey Fenbert
