Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Russian film director and propagandist Tigran Keosayan (L) and his wife Margarita Simonyan, RT editor-in-chief and high-profile propagandist (R), attend the XV Valdai International Discussion Club annual meeting in Sochi, Russia, on Oct. 18, 2018. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
Russian propagandist and film director Tigran Keosayan has suffered a clinical death and is in a coma, his wife and Russia Today editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said on her Telegram channel on Jan. 8.
Keosayan, 59, was hospitalized in late December. His condition is serious, according to Russian media outlet Baza. The Russian propagandist previously suffered a heart attack in 2008 and 2010 and underwent aortocoronary stenting.
"I didn't want to until the last minute, but since reporters have already started calling, I'll write it myself. My husband, Tigran Keosayan, has suffered a clinical death and is in a coma. As many people know, he has had a very sick heart for a long time," Simonyan said.
Keosayan hosted the International Pilorama program on the Russian state-controlled NTV channel. His directorial career began in 1992. Since then, he has directed about 20 films, including the propaganda film "The Crimean Bridge. Made with Love!"
The film takes place during the construction of the Crimean Bridge, which Russia built to link the Russian-occupied peninsula with the Russian mainland. The structure became a critical supply route for Russian forces after the launch of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In March 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a video where he alleged serious corruption violations during the film's production. According to Navalny, at least 46 million rubles (nearly $ 449,000) of state funds intended for the film were diverted to Simonyan's relatives.
Following the outbreak of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Keosayan was subject to sanctions by the European Union, the U.K., Canada, and other countries. In October 2022, he was added to Ukraine's sanctions list for spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Martin Fornusek
