"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.
A home in Pershomaryivka, Donetsk Oblast, targeted by a deadly Russian attack on Nov. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's National Police / Telegram)
Russia attacked a village in Donetsk Oblast on Nov. 20, killing an 11-year-old boy and seriously injuring his 13-year-old sister, regional police reported.
A 63-year-old man was also hospitalized with multiple injuries following the attack, police said.
Russia launched Tornado multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) armed with cluster munitions at Pershomaryivka in Donetsk Oblast's Kramatorsk district at around 3:45 p.m. local time, police reported.
The attack struck the yard of a home, instantly killing an 11-year-old boy. His sister, age 13, sustained shrapnel wounds and is in serious condition. She is being treated at a medical facility in Dnipro. A 63-year-old man was also injured and hospitalized.
Russian artillery and aerial attacks against Donetsk Oblast settlements are a daily occurrence, regularly resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. The region is also the main target of Russia's latest offensive push.
The district center of Kramatorsk is currently located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the front line.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Francis Farrell
