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.
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.
An aerial view of the graves of Ukrainian soldiers who died during the Ukraine-Russia War in the 18th cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 21, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russian forces have executed four Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Piatykhatky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, drone footage published by the Associated Press on April 10 suggests.
In the video, the four seemingly unarmed POWs are seen emerging from a ruined building at gunpoint by Russian forces. One raises his hands in surrender before all four lie face down in the grass.
Russian soldiers, identifiable by insignia, then shoot each prisoner in the back, according to the footage shared by European military officials with the AP.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, condemned the execution as a war crime.
"Russian invaders execute four Ukrainian prisoners of war after they surrender. Such executions have become systemic, but each one is shocking in its brutality," he posted on X.
Tykhyi said Ukraine expects the incident to be investigated, including by the International Criminal Court, and that all perpetrators must be brought to justice.
The Geneva Conventions prohibit the execution of POWs under any circumstances, requiring that they be treated with dignity and protected from violence and intimidation. Violations constitute war crimes under international law.
Russia has been repeatedly accused of murdering captured Ukrainian soldiers during its full-scale invasion. As of mid-December 2024, Ukrainian authorities had documented the execution of at least 177 POWs.
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
