Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
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.
Lifecell signboard visible on the facade of the building on Dec. 15, 2023 in Lviv, Ukraine. (Mykola Tys/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The contract on the sale and merger of the telecom businesses Lifecell and Datagroup-Volia prohibits any payment to sanctioned oligarch Mikhail Fridman, Datagroup-Volia CEO Mykhailo Shelemba told Interfax Ukraine on April 16.
Lifecell is 100%-owned by Turkcell, a publicly traded company dual-listed on the Istanbul and New York Stock exchanges.
Fridman's company LetterOne indirectly owns 19.8% of Turkcell shares, but according to Lifecell's press service, LetterOne has no board seats or control rights on Turkcell’s board.
Fridman's shares were frozen by Ukraine in October 2023. Lifecell has appealed the decision, with a court hearing scheduled for April 16.
If the court denies the appeal, the entire deal could fall through, as NJJ will not be able to purchase 100% of Turkcell's Ukrainian businesses.
If the court unfreezes the shares and Ukraine's antitrust regulator approves the acquisition, Fridman will see no profits from the sale, according to Shelemba.
"Not one cent from the sale of Turkcell's assets in Ukraine will be transferred to sanctioned persons or companies controlled by them," Shelemba said.
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"All parties to this agreement, both buyers and sellers, are legally bound to strictly comply with international and Ukrainian law, in particular the current sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council," Shelemba said.
The EU sanctioned Fridman, along with his associate Petr Aven, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Fridman and Aven are major shareholders in Alfa Group, a holding company that includes Alfa Bank, Russia's largest private bank.
The EU Court of Justice ruled on April 10 that sanctions against Fridman and Aven should be lifted, as the EU had failed to demonstrate that the two oligarchs "supported actions or policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."
The two oligarchs have not yet been officially removed from EU sanctions lists and remain under U.S. and Ukrainian sanctions.
Ukraine nationalized Sense Bank, a Ukrainian branch of Fridman's Alfa-Bank, in the summer of 2023, citing the fact that its owner had been placed under sanctions. The state bought 100% of Sense Bank's shares for a symbolic 1 Hr (then $0.03).
Once the acquisitions are complete, Lifecell will be merged with Datagroup-Volia to form a combined Datagroup-Volia-Lifecell entity, NJJ said in a press release on April 8.
The total value of the acquisition, including the purchase price and investment over the course of five years, will amount to $1.5 billion, Shelemba told Forbes in an interview published on April 11.
The purchase is also one of the largest acquisitions in independent Ukraine’s 33-year history since Indian Mittal Steel purchased the Kryvorizhstal complex for $4.8 billion in 2005 before merging with Arcelor a year later, and becoming ArcelorMittal.
Abbey Fenbert
