"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."
"We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support" for Ukraine's accession, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"(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.
A purported images of a fire burning at the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai following a reported attack by Kyiv on March 14, 2025. (Astra/Telegram)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A large fire covering over 1,000 square meters engulfed the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on March 14, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram.
Several explosions were heard by residents in the region around 5 a.m. local time. Videos posted on social media show a large fire burning in the location of the depot.
Kondratyev later claimed on social media that the explosions were a results of an attack carried out by Kyiv.
A gasoline storage tank is currently ablaze as over 100 emergency personnel are working to extinguish the blaze, Kondratyev added.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by the Russian official. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the attack.
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A purported video showing a fire burning at the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai following a reported attack by Kyiv on March 14, 2025. (Astra/Telegram)
No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage caused or whether there are any casualties.
Ukraine has previously targeted the Tuapse oil refinery on numerous occasions, including in a strike as recently as Feb. 26.
The Tuapse oil refinery, with an annual processing capacity of 12 million tons, is significant in supplying fuel to the Russian military.
Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian fossil fuel infrastructure, aiming to disrupt revenue sources funding Moscow's war effort.
Ukraine regularly conducts deep strikes on military and industrial targets in Russia, predominantly using domestically developed drones.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
