"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.
The aftermath of Russian attacks against the Nikopol district, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 2, 2024. (Governor Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement by the Air Force
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least one person and injured at least eight over the past day, regional authorities reported on Dec. 3.
Moscow's forces targeted energy infrastructure facilities in several regions as Ukraine enters its third winter of the full-scale war.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 22 of the 28 Russian drones launched against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported. One drone was lost in Ukraine, and two flew toward Belarus and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to the statement.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 21-year-old man was injured during Russian attacks against the Nikopol district, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Eight houses, a high school building, a shop, a gas station, and other buildings were damaged.
Russian attacks against the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast killed one person and injured another, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two more people were reportedly wounded during strikes against the village of Shevchenko.
In Kharkiv Oblast, an 80-year-old woman was injured during a Russian attack with a multiple-launch rocket system against the Prystyn village near Kupiansk, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Three people were injured during Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A multi-story building, 12 houses, and other buildings were damaged.
A Russian attack against Rivne Oblast damaged an emergency facility infrastructure, Governor Oleksandr Koval said. No casualties were reported.
An energy infrastructure site was also damaged during a drone attack against the city of Ternopil, resulting in a fire. No casualties were reported, but some residents were left without electricity as a result, Mayor Serhii Nadal said.
Khmelnytskyi, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Asami Terajima
