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.
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.
Illustrative purposes: Image of a biohazard symbol against a concrete wall. (Getty Images)
Satellite imagery shows signs of a major renovation and expansion at a restricted military facility near Moscow that once housed a Cold War biological weapons program, the Washington Post (WP) reported on Oct. 25.
Sergiyev Posad-6, a military site northeast of Moscow, was a Soviet biological weapons research center during the Cold War. The Soviet military used the lab to experiment with weaponizing the viruses that cause smallpox and Ebola, among others.
Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, satellite imagery indicated massive construction and renovation at the Sergiyev Posad-6 site, the WP reported, citing photos from imaging firms Planet Labs and Maxar. The expansion amounts to over 250,000 square feet and 10 new buildings.
According to experts in biodefense, the military, and satellite imaging who spoke to the WP, the facilities harbor some of the distinctive features of high-security biological labs that handle dangerous pathogens.
Among these features are extensive rooftop air handling units, underground infrastructure, heightened security, and a possible power plant. The layout is "consistent with lab design" and suggests "maximum containment" labs, one expert said.
"The upgrades are consistent with this secure, top-secret military biological facility's historic role in developing viral biological weapons," said Andrew Weber, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks.
Russian officials have said that the purpose of the labs is to study Ebola viruses and other deadly microbes in order to protect Russia from possible bioterrorism.
The expansion at Sergiyev Posad-6 coincides with a Russian disinformation campaign in the early months of the full-scale invasion, when the Kremlin falsely accused Ukraine of developing biological weapons.
Officials told the WP that it is impossible to tell from the satellite photos whether Russia plans to use the Sergiyev Posad-6 labs to research and develop biological weapons.
Biological warfare is banned under international law. While there is no evidence Russia has used such weapons in its war against Ukraine, Kyiv has accused Moscow of launching thousands of chemical weapons attacks during its ongoing invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly resorted to nuclear blackmail to deter Ukraine's Western allies from a more aggressive response.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
