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.
A photo showing a Ukrainian soldier in the recaptured aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. (Ukraine's military intelligence)
Russian troops are using "the maximum range of weapons" to attack the recently recaptured aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Kharkiv Group of Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said on Sept. 30.
Describing the situation as "difficult," Sarantsev said Russian forces were continuously assaulting in the Kharkiv sector, and had made the Vovchansk plant its "number one goal."
Russian troops had been in control of the facility for several months before it was recaptured by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) special forces. on Sept. 24., HUR previously reported.
"(The plant) is not a tactical target as such for (Russia). But at the same time, the loss of this facility was a very powerful blow to its image," the spokesperson said.
Speaking on national television, Sarantsev said that Russian forces are carrying out attacks against the plant with guided aerial bombs and "Solntsepek" multiple rocket launchers.
"In other words, (Russia) is following its standard practice of destroying what it could not capture," he added.
Ukrainian forces captured around 20 Russian soldiers and killed "several dozen" others during an operation to recapture an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, a member of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claimed last week.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.
Vovchansk is an embattled town some 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Kharkiv that has seen heavy battles since Russia launched a new offensive in the area in May.
While initially gaining ground, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quicklybogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses.
The intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors in Ukraine's east near Pokrovsk, Vuhledar and Toretsk.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chris York
