"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.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Military vehicles are seen on a road at sunset on the fields nearby Chasiv Yar battlefield, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2024. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Narciso Contreras/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Two volunteers, including British humanitarian and mine disposal expert Chris Garrett, died in an explosion near the eastern Ukrainian town of Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, the charity Prevail Humanitarian Aid confirmed on May 7.
Shaun Pinner, a former British soldier and Ukrainian marine, posted the news on X on behalf of the charity, where Garrett served as founder and chairman.
Prevail provides support to Ukrainian government agencies with landmine/unexploded ordnance clearance, trauma medical care, and humanitarian assistance.
"On May 6, Prevail received the devastating news that our Founder and Chairman, Chris Garrett alongside other team members were severely injured in an incident near Izium," Pinner wrote. "We are still gathering information and working alongside military and police officials to uncover the details."
In a follow-up message, Pinner confirmed that Garrett was among two individuals who had died from injuries sustained in the incident. "It has now been confirmed that two of the three critically injured individuals have sadly passed away. I can confirm that Chris was among those who died," he wrote.
Pinner said further updates would be provided as investigations proceed. "We can’t and will not comment during an ongoing investigation," the statement read.
Garrett, 40, from the Isle of Man, was widely known for his high-risk volunteer work removing mines and unexploded ordnance left behind by Russian forces. A former British Army recruit and tree surgeon, he began clearing landmines in Burma in 2014 before volunteering in Ukraine between 2014 and 2017. He later returned just days after Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.
In a 2022 interview with Radio Free Europe, Garrett described the dangers of his work around Kyiv. He warned of unexploded submunitions from cluster bombs, which can detonate with even the slightest touch.
Garrett's commitment to Ukraine earned him a note of thanks from the National Police of Ukraine. He was tried in absentia by a Russian-controlled court in Donetsk and sentenced to over 14 years in prison on terrorism charges, a verdict he called "a pathetic attempt to smear me by those who have murdered, raped and tortured thousands of civilians in Ukraine," Isle of Man Today reported.
In his final months, Garrett continued to document his work on social media, providing updates and educational content about mine clearance.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Natalia Yermak
