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.
The Federal Palace, Switzerland's parliament building, in Bern, Switzerland, March 2023. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Swiss parliament's upper chamber on May 27 supported a motion that would toughen measures to expel spies.
The proposal, which has already been supported by the parliament's lower chamber, is seen as a means to curb Russian intelligence activities in the country ahead of the June peace summit for Ukraine.
The upper chamber – the Council of States – passed the motion with 32 voting in favor, nine against, and two abstentions.
"Foreign states should feel Switzerland is reacting to violations of its security and defending itself," said Swiss President Viola Amherd in an address to the parliament.
The president stressed that the motion would not lead to automatic decision-making.
Bern has previously said that Russia operates spies inside Switzerland disguised as diplomats. Similar accusations have been made by governmentsacross Europe, often leading to expulsions.
Lawmaker Franziska Roth, one of the lawmakers backing the proposal, said that "Switzerland, as the seat of international organizations and as a state in the heart of Europe, is an attractive location for intelligence services."
The peace summit will take place on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort above Lake Lucerne, and some 90 countries have already confirmed their attendance. Russia has not been invited to participate at this stage, and Kyiv warned that Moscow will seek to disrupt the conference.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
