"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.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov walks out after a meeting with African leaders at the Konstantin Palace in Strelna on June 17, 2023, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Mobile internet restrictions will be enforced in Moscow and several Russian regions while foreign officials visit the country, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on May 7.
Peskov claimed the measures, which may last through May 10, are necessary due to "dangerous neighbors."
"These are not disruptions, but restrictions for obvious reasons. We want the glorious Victory Day to be celebrated at the appropriate level." he added.
The clampdown comes ahead of Russia's Victory Day, a key propaganda event for President Vladimir Putin marking the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
For a third straight day, the Kremlin reported downing Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow, forcing mass flight delays and diversions around the capital on May 7.
Internet disruptions began on May 5 during rehearsals for the May 9 Victory Day parade. The pro-government Telegram channel Baza reported restrictions affecting at least eight regions and 30 cities including St. Petersburg, and Moscow.
In Mordovia and Saransk, authorities shut down internet access after a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Optical Fiber Systems plant. Astra, an independent Russian outlet, reported outages in Vladimir Oblast, Voronezh, Orel, and Taganrog.
On May 7, residents of Moscow and its surrounding region reported further disruptions, including ATM failures, halted card payments in stores, and food delivery issues, the pro-Kremlin outlet Careful, Moscow reported.
Ukraine has previously shown it can reach Moscow with drones. On May 8, a unilateral "humanitarian" truce, announced by Putin, is set to begin, lasting until midnight on May 11.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the move as a "theatrical performance," with experts telling the Kyiv Independent the announcement violates norms of ceasefire negotiations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Russia from May 7–10 to discuss Ukraine, Russia-U.S. relations, and energy cooperation with Putin and attend the parade.
Other expected guests include Brazilian PresidentLuiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime MinisterRobert Fico, though Fico's attendance remains uncertain due to illness.
At least 29 world leaders and military personnel from 13 countries are expected at the parade.
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
