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.
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."
The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. (Wikimedia Commons)
The head of the counter-disinformation center at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council denied claims from the Russian media about an attempted Ukrainian attack against the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant on Oct. 3.
"Russia released false information about a HIMARS strike against the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant," Andrii Kovalenko said on his Telegram channel.
The plant lies roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Ukrainian-held positions in Kursk Oblast, according to the DeepState monitoring site.
Earlier on Oct. 3, Russian Telegram Shot and Mash claimed that explosions rocked the nearby town of Kurchatov amid a supposed attempted Ukrainian attack on the Kursk plant.
The channels did not specify whether HIMARS rockets were used in the attack. Mash claimed that four missiles and a single drone were deployed, all of which were intercepted.
The drone, alleged to be Ukraine's new Palianytsia model, was flying toward Kurchatov at 11:30 a.m. local time, Mash wrote. Later during the day, at 4:20 p.m., Russian air defenses were used to intercept a "French aerial bomb" that fell 5 kilometers from the power station, the channel alleged.
Shot wrote that Ukrainian forces made "four unsuccessful attempts" to strike the plant, causing a fire some 5 kilometers from the plant. Both channels shared footage of smoke rising over what appears to be Kurchatov.
Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov claimed that a Ukrainian drone was neutralized by electronic warfare means near Kurchatov. Its fall allegedly caused explosions at an outbuilding not related to the nuclear plant.
The power station's management said on Telegram that it is "operating in normal mode" and that the radiation levels are within norms.
Purported footage of smoke rising over the town of Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast, Russia, on Oct. 3, 2024. Kurchatov's Church of Seraphim of Sarov is visible in the left part of the photo. (Mash/Telegram)
"Obviously, nobody attacked the nuclear plant, there is no point. Russia showed some kind of fire in Kurchatov and a video of an explosion on the ground," Kovalenko said.
"What is the purpose of attacking the nuclear power plan?... It (the explosions) have nothing to do with an attack against the Kursk plant."
The Ukrainian outlet Suspilne also wrote that its sources in Ukraine's intelligence services refuted the claims about the strike on the plant.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims. Ukrainian intelligence services did not respond to a request for comment at the time of the publication.
The Kremlin previously accused Kyiv of attacking the plant in late August and invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect security at the station. Moscow was apparently disappointed with the conclusions of the IAEA mission, saying it was hoping for "a more objective and clearer position."
Russia has been occupying Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since March 2022. Kyiv said Moscow has been consistently endangering the plant's safety and using it as a tool of nuclear blackmail.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
