Ukrainian media 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.
Satellite view of Tartus, a port city on the Mediterranean coast of western Syria. Imaged on Nov. 20, 2024. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024)
A "large amount" of Russian military equipment vanished from the Syrian port of Tartus with the departure of the Russian cargo ship Sparta II, an investigative journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Mark Krutov, said on Jan. 27, citing satellite images.
Another Russian cargo ship called Sparta remained docked in the port after the two ships idled for weeks off the coast before being granted permission to dock, the BBC reported.
The news sheds further light on the state of Russian military assets in Syria, whose ultimate fate remains unclear after a rebel offensive overthrew Moscow-backed dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
"A large amount of Russian military equipment vanished from the Syrian port of Tartus with Sparta II’s departure, while Sparta vessel remains in port," Krutov’s post on X read. Both ships are owned by the sanctioned shipping company Oboronlogistics.
Russia’s Stroytransgaz’s commitment made in 2019 to invest over $500 million in the modernization of the port, a prerequisite for allowing Russian ships into the port, was recently canceled.
A large amount of Russian military equipment vanished from the Syrian port of Tartus with Sparta II’s departure, while Sparta vessel remains in port. The nearest loading area to the vessel has become densely packed with containers, as a @planet satellite image from Jan. 27 shows. pic.twitter.com/RHACg4ac3C
Russia had a 49-year leasing right of the port, which had been agreed upon earlier by the Assad regime. After the dictator was overthrown and fled to Russia, Moscow began withdrawing military and naval assets from Syria.
Russian soldiers and materiel began leaving the country mainly by planes, departing from another key Russian military base, the Khmeimim airport.
This means that despite the impediments to maritime transport, most materiel is leaving the country via airlift, with only equipment impossible or expensive to lift by air being transported by sea, Russian military blogger Fighterbomber said in a Telegram post on Jan. 22.
The BBC wrote that there were probably two more Russian warships in the port, the Ivan Gren and the Aleksandr Otrakovsky. This assessment was supported by Ukraine's military intelligence.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
