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.
"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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the Valdai Club on November 7, 2024 in Moscow, Russia. Putin visited an annual meeting of Russian and foreign analysts and political scientists (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russia aims to launch the "Oreshnik" intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into mass production, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov. 22 during a meeting with the representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry and the national military-industrial complex.
A day prior, Putin said in an evening address that Russian forces had used the "Oreshnik" to attack the city of Dnipro in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet provided an official report on Russia's weapon used in the recent attack. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) suggested that this was not a new Russian design but part of Russia's Kedr missile complex that has been in development since at least 2021.
Putin denied that the Oreshnik is a modernization of old Soviet systems, as the missile is allegedly based on "the latest Russian developments." The Russian president added that there are no analogs of such weapons in the world, nor are there any means to intercept them.
"Given its striking power, especially in mass use, and combined with other high-precision long-range systems Russia also has, its use against enemy targets will be comparable to strategic weapons. Although the system is not a strategic weapon," Putin claimed.
Russian forces still have a stockpile of these missile systems ready for use, according to Putin. The Russian president also said that Russia will continue to test the Oreshnik missile, including in combat conditions.
Putin added that Russia is working on a series of medium- and short-range missiles. Several Russian systems are allegedly being tested and planned for mass production.
Little is known about the "Oreshnik" missile referred to by Putin, but military expert Yan Matveev told Russian independent media outlet IStories that it could be a modified version of the "Rubezh" IRBM.
The RS-26 "Rubezh" is reported to have a range of up to 6,000 kilometers and can carry four warheads, each with an estimated payload of 0.3 megatons.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Chris York
