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.
Foreign mercenaries, who reportedly fought for Russia in Ukraine and were captured by Ukrainian troops, participated in the press conference on March 15, 2024, in Kyiv. (Screenshot from the recording on Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform YouTube channel)
The Sri Lankan government will be sending a delegation to Russia to identify and repatriate its citizens fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, Reuters reported on May 16.
According to reports, a top official in the Sri Lankan government stated that the government will send a delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of nationals reportedly fighting in the war in Ukraine.
Social media campaigns operating on WhatsApp have targeted ex-military personnel in Sri Lanka, promising lucrative salaries and Russian citizenship to fight in Ukraine on Russia's behalf. The country's Defense Ministry warned its citizens not to be duped.
Online agents obtain the numbers of former servicemen in Sri Lanka and then arrange flights as well as documentation to bring them to Russia.
The campaign is especially successful in Sri Lanka, where the economy continues to struggle with the aftermath of the worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. Reuters reports that poverty rates have more than doubled since pre-pandemic levels, pushing hundreds of people to migrate.
Sri Lanka's government launched an investigation earlier this month into reports of Sri Lankan nationals with military backgrounds being trafficked to fight in Ukraine.
"The primary challenge lies in determining the exact number of individuals in Russia. As per unofficial sources, approximately 600-800 Sri Lankan individuals are in Russia," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya told reporters.
Sri Lanka has received over 288 complaints from families of nationals who have reportedly left the country to fight in Ukraine. The authorities have arrested seven people, including a retired general, in connection with the human trafficking scheme.
At least 16 Sri Lankan nationals have died fighting in Ukraine.
Russia has been recruiting foreigners from such countries as Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and others to fight in Ukraine from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Earlier this year, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announced that Russia increasingly involves foreign mercenaries from countries with a "difficult economic situation" to fight in Ukraine.
According to the Geneva Conventions, mercenaries do not have the right to be combatants or prisoners at war and mercenary activity must be considered a crime.
Earlier in January, Nepal halted issuing foreign work permits for its citizens to work in Russia until further notice after growing numbers of Nepalese mercenaries have been reported killed fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine.
At least 10 Nepalis have been confirmed killed while serving in the Russian Armed Forces, and as many as 200 are estimated to be fighting for Russia as of January, according to Nepal's government.
Nate Ostiller
