"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.
Illustrative image: A missile launched from Russia's Belgorod Oblast flies toward Kharkiv, Ukraine, amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Vadym Bielikov/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian forces launched a missile attack on Ukraine overnight on June 7, primarily targeting the country's western oblasts.
Ukraine's Air Force announced an air alert notifying of the threat of missile strikes against Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Lviv oblasts, as well as in the capital region in Kyiv Oblast.
The Air Force cited the threat of Russian cruise missiles, Tu-95MS bombers, and Shahed-type drones.
Multiple explosions were heard in Khmelnytskyi Oblast around 4:15 a.m. local time, Suspilne reported.
As a result of the attack, a fire broke out at an industrial facility in Kyiv Oblast, the local military administration reported. Emergency crews are currently on the scene to assess the extent of the damage.
Polish and other allied aircraft were scrambled to protect the country's own airspace in response to reports of the Russian missile attacks, the Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces said on X.
Air raid alerts were turned off at 5:00 a.m., and Polish and allied aircraft operations concluded around 7 a.m. local time.
No casualties were reported at 7 a.m.
According to the Air Force, mobile fire groups downed 48 of 53 Shahed-type drones and all 5 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight. The missiles and drones were shot down over Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.
In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid.
As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling shutdowns on May 15, but they have dramatically increased in recent days.
The latest Russian mass-missile attack on May 31 caused further damage to energy infrastructure across the country.
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.
Chris York
