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.
Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, attends the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Sanctions against Russia remain a key tool of international pressure, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna said on Feb. 19.
"The majority of sanctions, including almost all sovereign assets of the Russian Federation, are frozen specifically in the territory and jurisdictions of the European Union. Therefore, this is precisely the moment when we understand that this is not a reversible issue," she said to RBC-Ukraine at the opening of the Ukraine's Path to the EU in Illustrations, Posters, and Artworks exhibition.
Stefanishyna noted that Russia raising the issue of sanctions was unsurprising, as it had used similar leverage during negotiations over the Black Sea grain corridor agreement.
She expressed uncertainty regarding the position of the U.S. and its next steps, but appeared confident in the EU’s commitment to upholding sanctions.
"I am confident regarding the European Union. But, in principle, if we take into account the official statements of the US, particularly after the so-called consultations that took place (between the US and Russia), they did not appear radical," she said.
EU envoys approved the 16th package of sanctions against Russia on Feb. 19, and the measures are set to be officially endorsed by EU ministers on Feb. 24, the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The newest sanctions package will target aluminum imports and the "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, referring to aging and poorly insured ships Russia uses to avoid sanctions on the oil trade.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Martin Fornusek
