"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.
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.
The NATO and Lithuanian flags fly over the summit venue on July 09, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
On August 28, Lithuania delivered loaders, anti-drone systems, and folding beds to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense reported that earlier deliveries this year included 155-mm ammunition, armored personnel carriers, winter gear, and anti-drone systems, among other items.
The first part of this recent aid package, including forklifts, trailers, and beds, was sent on August 15.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte noted that by the end of 2024, Lithuania will fulfill and most likely exceed its commitment to spend 0.25% of its GDP on assistance to Ukraine and defense.
"I urge all our partners and allies to commit to the same target," Simonyte added.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Lithuania has allocated 501 million euros ($560 million) in support for Ukraine.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Dmytro Basmat
