A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"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.
Soldiers with Ukraine's 32nd Mechanized Brigade cross a field in May. (Oleksandr Bordian / Courtesy)
Ukraine is finalizing reforms to attract 18- to 25-year-olds, currently exempt from mobilization, into enlisting voluntarily into the armed forces, Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa said to the Associated Press on Jan. 24.
Palisa said Ukraine is exploring new recruitment options because the current drafting system, inherited from Soviet times, is outdated and inefficient.
The move comes amid pressure from U.S. lawmakers to lower the draft age, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has opposed lowering it to 18, arguing it would harm Ukraine's future prospects.
"We need to adapt the structure to the logic of modern warfare, which will allow us to be more effective and prevent us from making the same mistakes repeatedly," Palisa said.
One key initiative is an "honest contract," which offers financial incentives, training guarantees, and improved communication between soldiers and commanders.
"To secure the unit commander and the contract soldier, establish open and professional relations between them, and set clear boundaries that are understandable to both," Palisa said.
The updates to Ukraine's mobilization law, adopted in mid-April 2024, simplified the process for identifying eligible conscripts and introduced penalties for draft dodgers.
The new legislation also lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25.
Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are barred from leaving the country under martial law, but only those over 25 are eligible for the draft.
Russian forces significantly outnumber Ukrainian units in some parts of the front and have been able to advance at record rates in eastern Ukraine while absorbing heavy losses.
Elsa Court
