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."
"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.
Igor Gorgan, the former chief of the General Staff of Moldova's army. (Moldovan Defense Ministry)
Igor Gorgan, the former chief of staff of the Moldovan military, has been charged with treason, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Sept. 19, citing the country's prosecutors.
The Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases said that Gorgan stands "accused in the case concerning alleged espionage on behalf of Russia."
The Moldovan officer served as the chief of the General Staff between 2013 and 2016 and was reappointed to the position in 2019 under pro-Russian President Igor Dodon before losing the position again in 2021 at pro-Western President Maia Sandu's request.
Even after losing office, the general has been using his contacts in the Defense Ministry and has passed sensitive information on Moldova and Ukraine to Russia, The Insider wrote.
This reportedly included intelligence on military aid routes from Romania to Ukraine and on the political situation in Moldova.
While it is unclear when Gorgan's alleged cooperation with GRU began, their mutual communication reportedly became particularly active in April 2022, that is, shortly after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Following the media investigation, Moldovan authorities launched a criminal case regarding data transmission related to the national defense system. The prosecutors said the investigation into "the nature and content of the allegedly transmitted information" is ongoing.
Gorgan has denied the accusations and called the media investigation fake.
Chisinau has been supportive of Ukraine throughout the full-scale war and cracked down on Russian subversive operations at home, expelling dozens of diplomats and embassy staff in July 2023 after revelations of espionage activities.
Russia's invasion sparked fears in Moldova of a possible spillover of hostilities, namely via the Russian-occupied Moldovan region of Transnistria.
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.
Paula Erizanu
