"(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.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal inspecting fortifications in Kherson Oblast on July 25, 2024. (PM Denys Shmyhal/Telegram)
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal carried out an inspection of the construction of fortifications in Kherson Oblast, he said on July 25.
"In Kherson Oblast, the construction works are complete at 97%," Shmyhal said on his Telegram channel.
The authorities have long been criticized for slow progress in building up fortifications along the front lines. The criticism only grew stronger after Russian forces broke into the northern part of Kharkiv Oblast in May.
"Building fortifications is a priority for the leader of every front-line oblast. This year, the government allocated Hr 2 billion (around $50 million) to Kherson Oblast for this task," Shmyhal said.
Ukraine pushed Russian forces from the west-bank side of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in late 2022, but Moscow continues to occupy the east bank.
Reports emerged last week that Ukraine was forced to withdraw from Krynky, a key beachhead on the east bank it had held for months.
The government came under renewed pressure over the supposedly poor progress on fortifications after Russia crossed the border into Kharkiv Oblast in May.
Though the advance was eventually halted, many have asked how Russian forces managed to cross into Ukraine so easily.
One of the commanders in the sector, General Artur Hrobenko, complained in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda that the fortifications on the second defensive line, constructed by the regional authorities, were in poor condition and not properly maintained.
The general also said that building proper defenses on the first line was almost impossible due to constant Russian aerial strikes and shelling.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Nate Ostiller
