"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.
A sign pointing to Sudzha, Dyakonovo, and the Ukrainian city of Sumy from the window of an armored vehicle on the way to the town of Sudzha on Aug. 18, 2024. (Ed Ram / Getty Images)
Explosions occurred at the Sudzha gas metering station in Russia's Kursk Oblast on the night of March 21, followed by a large fire, Russian media and Telegram channels reported.
Footage allegedly showing the burning station after the attack has been circulating online.
Russian sources claim that the fire was visible from the border between Kursk and Sumy regions.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
The Sudzha station was previously used by Gazprom to export gas through Ukraine to Europe, but Ukraine has since stopped accepting Russian gas.
Russia has not issued an official statement about the incident, but Russian Telegram-based media outlets Mash and Baza blamed Ukraine for the attack.
Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russia’s oil industry, ammunition depots, and military airfields, aiming to disrupt supply chains critical to Russia’s war efforts. Fossil fuel exports remain a major revenue stream for the Kremlin’s military operations.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
