"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.
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.
In recent days, the reports emerged about the pollution of the Seim River and the Desna River in Ukraine. (Viacheslav Chaus/Telegram)
Russia dumped sewage from a sugar factory in the town of Tiotkino in Kursk Oblast into the Seim River, causing organic pollution to flow downstream, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 10 at a press conference attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.
It is a main tributary of the Desna River, which in turn flows into the Dnipro in Kyiv.
In recent days, reports have emerged showing the pollution of the Seim and Desna rivers in Ukraine. Shmyhal confirmed that the pollution of the Seim River led to a decrease in oxygen levels and a large-scale fish die-off.
Shmyhal did not specify whether Russia polluted the waters on purpose. Ukraine has prescribed steps to counteract the repercussions of the pollution.
Chernihiv Oblast Governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Sept. 7 that the pollution damage to the region is estimated at about Hr 186 million ($4.5 million).
"As a rule, (pollution) goes down the center of the river. Some part of the river has been passed, and recovery processes have already taken place closer to the border," Shmyhal said.
"There are no threats to human life and health. There are no risks due to water intake in Chernihiv, (and no risks) from the Desna River and further along the Dnipro River in Kyiv."
As of late January, Russia's full-scale invasion has caused Hr 2.2 trillion ($53 billion) in environmental damage, Shmyhal said.
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.
Dominic Culverwell
