"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.
Demonstrators hold placards and Ukrainian and British flags during a protest rally for a Stop the War in Ukraine Global Day of Action, in central London, on March 6, 2022. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
British officials have been ordered to revise contingency plans that would place the country on war alert following repeated threats of attack from Russia, the Telegraph reported on May 6, citing unnamed sources.
The classified "homeland defense plan" outlines how the government would respond in the immediate aftermath of a strike on British territory by a hostile foreign nation.
The plan will detail government procedures in the event of a declaration of war, including securing bunkers for the government and royal family, ensuring the continuity of broadcast services, and stockpiling key resources.
British ministers reportedly fear that, alongside potential battlefield losses to Russia and its allies, the U.K. remains underprepared and poorly defended domestically.
The updated document will account for scenarios involving conventional missiles, nuclear strikes, and cyberattacks — threats that were less prominent when the plan was last substantially revised before 2005.
The Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate is leading the effort, providing guidance to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on wartime governance, including when officials should relocate to fortified shelters such as the Downing Street bunker or sites outside London.
Strategies covering national infrastructure, such as road and rail networks, maritime logistics, postal services, and telecommunications, are expected to be incorporated. A scenario involving simultaneous missile and cyberattacks has reportedly already been modeled.
The updated plan draws inspiration from the Cold War-era "War Book," a previously secret dossier that included evacuation procedures for the Prime Minister, key officials, and Queen Elizabeth II.
The planning coincides with preparations for Britain's Strategic Defense Review, which will assess the state of the Armed Forces and include options to bolster homeland security, such as an expanded air defense system.
Britain has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. London has provided advanced weaponry, training for Ukrainian forces, and spearheaded diplomatic efforts supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.
The U.K. has pledged 4.5 billion pounds ($5.8 billion) for Ukraine in 2025, its largest annual contribution to date.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
