"(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.
Illustrative purposes only: A Russian Air Force Mi-28 on Aug. 6, 2012. (Artem Katranzhi/Wikimedia Commons)
A Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter crashed in Kaluga Oblast in western Russia, Governor Vladislav Shapsha reported on July 25.
Preliminary evidence indicates that the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction. The helicopter's crew was killed, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The helicopter reportedly fell into a deserted area near the village of Klenki, lying over 100 kilometers (over 60 miles) east of the Ukrainian border. No damage on the ground was reported.
"A task force and rescuers are working on the crash site," Shapsha said on his Telegram channel.
The Mi-28, also known under the NATO reporting name "Havoc," is a two-seat anti-armor gunship helicopter developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s.
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Russia has deployed the aircraft in Ukraine during its full-scale invasion. According to the Ukrainian military, Moscow has lost 326 helicopters in combat throughout the all-out war.
The incident follows another helicopter crash last week.
A Robinson helicopter disappeared in the Yakutia region in eastern Siberia on July 19. Its wreckage was found soon after, with the pilot and three passengers killed.
According to unconfirmed reports by Russian media, the three killed passengers were officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
There have been several cases of Russian helicopters and planes crashing during the full-scale war, sometimes resulting in fatalities. Russia's aviation industry took a heavy hit as a result of Western sanctions, often lacking the necessary components to maintain the aircraft.
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.
