"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 Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
State Emergency Service workers on site after a Russian missile attack on Sumy on April 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
At least 40 people were killed and 141 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, regional officials reported on April 14, marking one of the deadliest days in recent months.
The worst death toll resulted from a Russian ballistic missile strike on Sumy, where 34 people were killed, including two children, and at least 117 were injured, according to the State Emergency Service.
The attack occurred on Palm Sunday, which many in Ukraine observe, and is one of the deadliest on Sumy. The attack has sparked outrage amid talks of a ceasefire and peace negotiations.
Sumy, a city close to the Russia-Ukraine border, has been the target of constant strikes since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia used cluster munitions in the attack, outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on April 13.
State Emergency Service workers on site after a Russian missile attack on Sumy on April 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
State Emergency Service workers on site after a Russian missile attack on Sumy on April 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
State Emergency Service workers on site after a Russian missile attack on Sumy on April 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Elsewhere in the country, Russian forces launched 62 Shahed-type drones overnight, of which 40 were shot down, Ukraine's Air Force said. Another 11 drones disappeared from radars, likely acting as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
Electronic warfare units, aviation, and mobile fire teams were involved in repelling the attack.
In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian attack on Kupiansk killed two people, injured one, and damaged houses and garages, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed three civilians and injured six, targeting residential buildings and key infrastructure, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Eight people were injured in Odesa Oblast in drone strikes, suffering shrapnel wounds and burns, while fires broke out at the site of the attack, Governor Oleh Kiper said.
One person died and six others were injured in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian attacks continued across multiple towns, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 53-year-old man was injured after Russian forces launched Grad rockets, artillery, and kamikaze drones, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast saw four reports of damage to houses and infrastructure, with one person wounded, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a nurse was injured after a clinic was hit by attack drones, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.
The attacks came as Russia continues to reject a U.S.-mediated proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire. Kyiv reiterated that it would be ready to accept the truce if Moscow agreed to abide by the terms.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
