"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 residential building on fire after Russia attacked Toretsk, killing 3 people, in Donetsk Oblast. May 27, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk / 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo)
Ukraine’s Air Force struck and destroyed a concentration of Russian troops in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast on March 21, the Armed Forces General Staff reported on March 23.
Ukraine’s attack reportedly “completely destroyed” the position of the troops from the 1st Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment who were hiding in their shelter in the city of Toretsk.
Among the casualties were airborne assault groups and drone operators, the General Staff claimed.
“Exact numbers are still being clarified, but the destruction of their shelter and personnel greatly diminishes the ability of the Russian military to operate effectively in the Toretsk axis,” the General Staff wrote in a Telegram message which was accompanied by a video of the strike.
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A video of the strike on a concentration of Russian troops in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast on March 21 (General Staff)
Toretsk, which lies roughly 20 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, has seen fierce fighting in recent months and Ukraine launched a counterattack in late February and early March. The city is largely occupied by Russian troops.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the nearby city of Pokrovsk on March 22, where he previously said the situation had recently stabilized amid hotly contested battles. He warned that Russia is attempting renewed offensives in various parts of the front line, including in Kharkiv Oblast.
On March 23, Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade announced it had liberated the village of Nadiya in Luhansk Oblast.
The developments take place as Ukraine meets with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 23 to discuss a ceasefire proposal. The U.S. will also meet with Russian officials in Riyadh on March 24.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
