"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.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
One of the heads of security for Ukrenergo being detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for allegedly justifying Russia's full-scale war and calling for the murder of civilians, in a photo posted on Oct. 16, 2024. (SBU/Telegram)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) arrested one of the heads of security of the state-owned energy company Ukrenergo for allegedly justifying Russia's full-scale invasion, questioning the existence of an independent Ukrainian state, and supporting the murder of civilians, the SBU said on Oct. 16.
The media outlet RBC-Ukraine reported, citing unnamed sources, that the individual in question was Oleh Hrybenko, who is reportedly responsible for maintaining the security of critical infrastructure facilities.
The SBU did not name the suspect.
Beyond the suspect's anti-Ukrainian, pro-Russian rhetoric, the SBU said that he had also leaked information about the consequences of strikes on critical infrastructure facilities.
"Any manifestations of justification for Russian aggression are unacceptable for the Ukrenergo team," it said.
Ukrenergo added that nine of its employees have been killed by Russian attacks during their official duties, and another 11 have been killed fighting in the army.
If convicted, the suspect faces up to eight years in prison.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Dmytro Basmat
