Ukrainian investigative outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
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.
The entrance to the Russian city of Belgorod, some 40 kilometers from border with Ukraine, on May 28, 2023. (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod and the surrounding region on the evening of Aug. 30 inflicted damage and casualties, claimed the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the alleged attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify any of the claims made by Russian officials.
Gladkov reported a missile attack alert in the oblast at around 8 p.m. local time.
According to Gladkov, one woman and four men were killed at the scene of the alleged attack, and 37 people, including seven children, were injured and hospitalized.
Gladkov alleged that Ukraine used cluster munitions launched from a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) in the strike.
Several apartment buildings, commercial enterprises, cars, and unspecified social institutions were allegedly damaged.
Damage was also reported in the nearby village of Dubovoye, Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.
Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts. Claims of rocket or drone attacks against the region have become a common occurrence in recent months.
Russia reportedly often uses Belgorod Oblast as a launching ground for cross-border missile strikes against Ukraine.
Across the border in neighboring Kharkiv, at least seven people were killed, including a child, and another 77 injured in a Russian strike on a 12-story residential building in the city's Industrialnyi district.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
