"(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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting the Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia in Korolyov, outside Moscow, on Oct. 26, 2023. (Grigory Sysoyev/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
A Russian space satellite that U.S. officials tie to its nuclear anti-satellite weapon program seems to be spinning uncontrollably and may no longer be functioning, Reuters reported on April 25, citing U.S. experts.
The Cosmos 2553 satellite, which Russia denies is a part of its space weapon efforts, was launched by Russia weeks before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last year, the satellite had prompted U.S. allegations that for years, Russia has been developing a space nuclear weapon that could destroy hundreds of satellites in low orbit with a blast, such as SpaceX's network of Starlink internet system used by Ukrainian troops.
Over the past year, the Cosmos 2553 satellite had episodes of errant spinning, Reuters reported, citing Doppler radar data from space-tracking firm LeoLabs and optical data from Slingshot Aerospace.
In December 2024, LeoLabs suggested with "high confidence" that the satellite was tumbling based on additional radar data and imagery of the satellite taken by another space company, the news agency says.
"This observation strongly suggests the satellite is no longer operational," the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said of LeoLabs' analysis in its annual Space Threat Assessment, published on April 25.
U.S. Space Command, which tracks objects in space and has condemned Russian military satellites in the past, said it was aware of a change in Cosmos 2553's altitude, accordig to Reuters.
However, according to the latest observations of Slingshot, whose global telescope network has been tracking the spacecraft since its launch in 2022, Cosmos 2553 appears to have stabilized, the article says.
Russian officials have claimed that the Cosmos-2553 is "intended for scientific research," which the U.S. officials say is unlikely. The Kremlin has earlier denied any intention to put nuclear weapons in space.
Natalia Yermak is a staff writer for the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a fixer-producer and contributing reporter for the New York Times since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Previously, she worked in film production and documentary.
Asami Terajima
