"(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.
Photo for illustrative purpose. FPV drones are seen on the wall of a command room in the direction of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 21, 2024 (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) operation was behind the detonations of goggles for first-person-view (FPV) drones used by Russian soldiers, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 20.
The news comes after Russian pro-war Telegram channels reported a series of explosions of FPV goggles while they were being used by Russian drone operators.
According to the source, HUR bought a large batch of FPV goggles for the operation and rigged them with explosives and a detonation mechanism.
According to the source, a large batch of FPV goggles was bought for the operation and equipped with explosives and a remote detonation function. (HUR source)
According to the source, a large batch of FPV goggles was bought for the operation and equipped with explosives and a remote detonation function. (HUR source)
"Russian volunteers" subsequently donated the goggles to Russian drone units "in coordination" with the agency, according to the source.
"Today, the horrors of war are literally happening right before the eyes of Russian FPV pilots. This is a well-deserved punishment for the war crimes that the Russian occupiers commit against Ukraine every day," the HUR source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks by Ukrainian troops.
FPV drones are cheap to manufacture and can be precisely flown into targets, allowing their users to destroy much more expensive military equipment.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
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