"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.
An Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B stands with other jets at the passenger terminal at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, on May 31, 2016. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russia will not allocate federal funds to equip civilian airports with anti-drone systems as initially expected, pro-Kremlin publication Vedomosti reported on Jan. 12, citing two undisclosed sources.
This decision affects airports classified as Category I transportation infrastructure facilities, raising concerns about the vulnerability of Russia's civil aviation to drone-related threats.
The Russian government was originally expected to spend over 11 billion rubles ($106 million) by 2028 to equip 31 airports, including those in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, and other major cities, with drone defense systems.
However, this funding was not indicated in the relevant federal strategy document on infrastructure security, Vedomosti writes. This means it will be up to the airports' management to ensure security against potential drone threats, the outlet wrote.
Russia's decision not to fund anti-drone systems at key airports highlights gaps in its ability to address potential threats to civil aviation. Effective airport defense systems involve long-range drone detection systems, airspace closure, and neutralization using standard air defense measures.
During the full-scale war, Ukraine has launched long-range drone strikes targeting Russian energy, military, and industrial facilities. Russian airports often halt operations for security reasons amid drone attacks.
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.
Oleg Sukhov
