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.
"(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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Constantine Palace in Strelna in the suburb of Saint Petersburg on Sept. 20, 2024 (Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 31 ordering the spring conscription of 160,000 men for compulsory military service, state-owned media TASS reported.
The draft, running from April to June, applied to citizens aged 18 to 30 and marked the largest conscription campaign in 14 years.
Russia conducts conscription twice a year, in spring and fall, requiring eligible men to serve for one year. The last time conscription numbers exceeded this level was in 2011, when 203,000 people were drafted, the Moscow Times noted.
In 2024, the spring campaign required 150,000 people, and the fall draft required 133,000. Putin signs decrees specifying the number of recruits required during each period.
The Russian government has earlier implemented new measures to streamline the conscription process, making it easier to draft young men, including those who previously evaded service.
Although Russian conscripts are typically not deployed in active combat, Moscow has relied on financial incentives and pardons to recruit civilians for the war in Ukraine.
Following the unpopular September 2022 mobilization, which saw over 261,000 Russians flee the country, Putin has avoided another large-scale draft, instead using alternative methods to bolster troop numbers.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Denisova
