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.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson speaks during the press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on Dec. 11, 2023. (Atila Altuntas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Sweden will increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea through the deployment of three warships and a radar reconnaissance aircraft in response to the suspected sabotage of several underwater cables, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Jan. 12.
"These warships are placed under NATO command and they are used to create better conditions for a maritime situation picture in the Baltic Sea," Kristersson saidon the sidelines of a security conference in Salen.
Over the past six months, several telecommunication and energy cables underneath the Baltic Sea have been damaged, with four telecom cables and one power cable severed on Dec. 25.
Only two of those cables of the Christmas incident were repaired by Jan. 7. Authorities suspect the Russian shadow vessel Eagle S of the sabotage.
Sweden's decisions follows soon after a decision announcedby nearby NATO allies Finland and Estonia to send a fleet of up to 10 NATO vessels will guard the infrastructure under the Baltic Sea until April.
The shadow fleet refers to a group of aging, poorly insured tankers Russia uses to avoid international sanctions on its oil trade. Moscow also uses these vessels for espionage.
NATO previously said it is increasing its military presence in the Baltic Sea to bolster situational awareness and deter potential threats.
NATO officials have raised alarm over a growing number of Russian sabotage operations in Europe since the West threw its support behind Kyiv after the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Finland will hosta summit for NATO member states with access to the Baltic Sea on Jan. 14 to address regional security threats, including the suspected Russian sabotage, the Finnish president's office announced on Jan. 8.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
