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.
"(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.
Illustrative purposes only: Ukrainian soldiers get lunch in a forest on July 4, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Viktor Fridshon/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Soldiers received inedible cans of food on the front line, according to a serviceman who turned to NGL media to raise leadership’s concern after unsuccessful attempts to communicate directly with decision-makers, NGL media wrote on Oct. 7.
The outlet launched an investigation into the quality of food products supplied to the military after repeated and long-standing complaints by soldiers.
According to commanding officer Dmytro Vlasenko, soldiers receive cans of food that are inedible and contain animal skin, cords and soft tendons, and should not pass the quality control of the army.
In a possibly unrelated incident in July, the Defense Ministry ordered the destruction of 340 tons of food supply for poor quality.
According to the ministry's written responses to questions sent by NGL media, the most common cause of the ban is the insufficient amount of meat and the excessive presence of microorganisms that indicate non-sterile production.
NGL Media commissioned a laboratory to examine the sealed cans received from the soldier. Test results from the institution confirmed that the cans failed to meet the minimum chemical and physical standards, making the food provided to soldiers unfit for sale or consumption.
According to NGL media, the Menterika company supplying the meat cans was founded by the legal company Flagman, which specializes in registering legal entities and their interaction with state authorities.
Volodymyr Palchyk, the founder of Menterika and the leading partner of Flagman, is also a co-founder of hundreds of other companies, and the phone number provided is also listed for thousands of other legal entities.
Volodymyr Martynenko, who became the company's owner and director half a year after its establishment, said he has no direct contract with the Ukrainian military and sells products through various intermediaries. He also claimed that the quality of his company's food is confirmed by "proper examinations."
The quality of food products supplied to the army is supervised by the Central Department of Quality Control at the Defense Ministry, which governs the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine.
The Quality Control Department was led until late 2023 by Colonel Oleksandr Fydyna, who was later fired, possibly in connection to the purchase of low-quality winter jackets in Turkey.
This scandal, as well as a scandal with the purchase of overpriced food products that surfaced in early 2023, led to the dismissal of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kateryna Denisova
