"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.
Fragments of a Russian Shahed-136 (Geran-2) UAV found in Moldova on Feb. 13 following a mass attack on Ukraine. (President Maia Sandu / Facebook)
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Moldova's Foreign Ministry's response to the incident.
Several Russian drones launched in a mass overnight attack on Ukraine on Feb. 13 flew into Moldovan airspace, with at least one exploding and one crashing on the country's territory, Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported.
"Russian drones and bombs are falling and exploding in our villages. And we must recognize that we cannot defend ourselves against them," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.
One drone crashed into a field near the village of Chumai in Taraclia district, while another exploded between the town of Ceadir-Lunga and the village of Valea Perjei.
According to Moldova's Police General Inspectorate, fragments found in Ceadir-Lunga confirmed that the drone was of Russian origin.
The border police reported no injuries, and authorities have isolated the area for further investigation.
"Experts from the technical and explosive division of the police are at both locations and are conducting an investigation. The drones will be studied in more detail in the future," the statement said.
In response, Moldova's Foreign Ministry announced the closure of the Russian Cultural Center in Chisinau and summoned the Russian ambassador for a formal protest.
The ministry also terminated a 1998 intergovernmental agreement with Russia on cultural centers, demanding that the center cease its activities.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian drones have repeatedly crashed on Moldovan territory, and missiles have violated its airspace, prompting strong condemnation from Chisinau.
On Jan. 17, Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed the discovery of Russian drone fragments in two communities along the Romania-Ukraine border.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Daniel Tannebaum
