"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
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.
LUHANSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - MARCH 31: A gas mask on a cut down tree is seen on the road in the direction of Kreminna, Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region on March 31, 2024. (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian forces used chemical weapons on the battlefield 434 times in December 2024, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Jan. 18.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's radiation, chemical, and biological intelligence units have been monitoring and recording the use of hazardous chemicals in attacks. The military has recorded 5,389 cases since February 2023.
Russian forces used K-51 and RG-VO munitions, anti-riot weapons that are prohibited for use in warfare, the General Staff said in their report.
Russia has also used ammunition loaded with dangerous chemicals of "unspecified type."
The use of such weapons "grossly violates the rules of warfare," the General Staff said. The report noted that chemical weapons attacks have "become systemic" since February 2023.
Russia has been intensifying its use of chemical agents on the battlefield in Ukraine. A Kyiv Independent investigation from August 2024 showed that instances of gas attacks are rising, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Nov. 18 that a riot control agent known as CS has been used in Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been hospitalized with chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk said on Dec. 13.
Ukraine struck back at Russia's use of illegal chemical weapons on Dec. 17, when the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) assassinated Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops.
The previous day, Ukrainain prosecutors charged Kirillov in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
