"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.
The "Angels" special intelligence unit evacuated from occupied Crimea the family of an officer of the Ukrainian, according to Ukraine's Navy. (Ukraine's Navy)
The Angels special intelligence unit has evacuated from occupied Crimea the family of a Ukrainian naval officer persecuted by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the Navy reported on Oct. 7.
The operation was ordered by Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa. It was secretly planned in a short time frame and "successfully implemented," according to the statement.
The family of four — the officer's parents, sister and niece — were detained in Russian-occupied Crimea on Sept. 18.
"They were illegally held for three days, psychologically pressured and threatened with torture," the Navy said.
"In this way, the occupiers planned to persuade the Ukrainian officer to cooperate."
The family was released on Sept. 20 on the condition that the officer would contact the FSB within five days. Otherwise, the family could face "years of imprisonment."
"The family was evacuated right from under the noses of the occupiers," the Navy added.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
