"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.
Unmanned Systems Forces say Ukraine is operating a long-range drone that can carry a 250-kilogram bomb. (Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces)
Ukrainian soldiers are now using a long-range drone capable of traveling up to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and carrying a 250-kilogram air bomb, the Unmanned Systems Forces said on Jan. 31.
The drone is described as a “unique development” and a potential game changer on the battlefield. The military did not disclose the number of drones in service or additional details about their capabilities.
"Russian propaganda constantly claims to have 'shot down' such aircraft, but explosions at military-industrial complexes, refineries, and ammunition depots suggest otherwise," the statement read.
Ukraine regularly targets Russian oil facilities with long-range drone strikes in an effort to disrupt fuel supplies to the Russian military and reduce Moscow's energy export revenues. Oil profits remain a crucial source of funding for Russia's war efforts.
The drones, operated by Ukraine's 14th Regiment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, have targeted Russian facilities for more than a year, “flying hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers,” according to the statement.
“There have already been dozens of such missions, and there will be more,” the military said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing warfare tactics.
Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and are frequently used by Ukrainian troops for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks.
Ukraine produced more than 30,000 bomber drones in 2024, according to Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin.
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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