"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."
"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.
Local residents walk in front of a giant advertising placard for the Ukrainian online casino Pin-Up in Kyiv on April 23, 2024. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
The beneficial owners and top managers of one of the most popular online casinos in Ukraine, Pin-Up, are suspected of collaborating with Russia, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) and the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Dec. 5.
The casino's owners, who are Russian citizens, allegedly collected personal data and information about the location of their users, including military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military formations.
The law enforcement agencies did not mention the name of the company in their statements. Olena Duma, the head of Ukraine's Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), said the suspects are the representatives of Pin-Up.
Individuals associated with the casino operate in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, contributing to the Russian state budget as well as financing the military-industrial complex and armed aggression against Ukraine, according to the DBR.
One of the unnamed accused individuals, who "controls the online casino's work," has been financing an organization that helped Russian veterans who fought in Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war.
In May, the Pecherskyi Court in Kyiv seized the accounts of Pin-Up's online casino. It later approved the transfer of over Hr 2.6 billion ($62.5 million) of the company's seized assets to the ARMA. The state agency in turn used those funds to purchase military bonds.
Pin-Up continues to operate in Russia and on Russian websites, the law enforcement agencies reported.
Gambling was officially banned in Ukraine in 2009 until its legalization in 2020.
The negative impacts of gambling, especially on the Ukrainian soldiers, became a topic of public discussion in the spring of 2024 as a petition demanding restrictions on online gambling reached the president's table in March.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on April 20 approving restrictions on online gambling and banning it for the military while martial law remains in effect.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kateryna Hodunova
