"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.
An aerial view of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, in ruins on July 3, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russian forces are concentrating troops for fresh assaults in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Zaporozhets, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Feb. 10.
Chasiv Yar in Ukraine's east has been one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The town, located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Kramatorsk, has been partially under Russian control since Ukrainian forces withdrew from the eastern Kanal neighborhood in July 2024.
"Now there is a period of accumulation and concentration (of Russian forces)... on the approaches to Chasiv Yar and regrouping in the town itself for further assault operations," Zaporozhets said on national television.
The spokesperson added that over the past week, Russian forces have avoided using armored vehicles, instead relying on quad bikes and buggies for logistical support.
0:00
/
A view of the streets of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, amid intense fighting as Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine's east. (Interior Ministry / Facebook).
On Jan. 29, The Moscow Times reported that Chasiv Yar had fallen to Russian forces, citing five Ukrainian and European military and government sources.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia has officially confirmed the claim. Comments from Ukrainian military officials, OSINT analysts, and even Russian military bloggers indicate that intense fighting continues in the town.
The battle for Chasiv Yar has been ongoing for months, with Ukraine's forces slowing Russia's advances through brutal street-to-street combat. Despite Russian pressure, Ukrainian defenders resist, preventing a rapid breakthrough.
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.
Chris York
