"(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.
Photo illustration of Russian hacker with a laptop. (BeeBright via Getty Images)
Russia conducted a cyberattack on Ukraine's government services on Dec. 19, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna said in a statement.
In the largest cyberattack in recent months, several government services were targeted, including state registers the Justice Ministry oversees. Stefanishyna did not specify which registers have been targeted.
Russia has regularly targeted Ukrainian companies and government institutions with cyberattacks since the onset of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In August, a massive Russian cyberattack targeted Monobank, one of Ukraine's largest banks.
"We are coordinating work on countering cyberattacks and restoring systems. It's already clear that the attack was made by Russia to disrupt the work of critically important infrastructure," Stefanishynasaid on Dec. 19.
"(Russia)... is trying to use this situation... to sow panic among citizens of Ukraine and abroad," she said, adding that it will take up to two weeks for impacted government services to resume operation.
In October, Microsoft warned that Russian hackers were targeting U.S. government officials. Cyberattacks and phishing emails are a part of Russia's hybrid war against the West over its support of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
