"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.
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.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov takes part in a Forum with the participation of heads of state institutions on August 27, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine has developed a three-year plan for the production of drones, electronic warfare equipment and ground robotic systems, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in an interview with Lb.ua media outlet published on Sept. 24.
Described as "very thorough and extensive," the document on Ukrainian manufacturing was presented during Umerov's recent trips to the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, as well as at the Ramstein meeting earlier this month.
"We looked at how many of them (drones, electronic warfare, ground robotic systems) we needed and how we would use them at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels," the minister said.
The plan also includes the specific number of weapons that Ukraine can produce and the funds needed, Umerov added without elaborating.
"There are already several countries today that have agreed to finance our drones and missiles," Umerov added.
The Ukrainian military has proven to be a pioneer in drone technology, using innovative ways to undermine Russia's ammunition and personnel advantage.
According to Umerov, Ukraine has destroyed or damaged over 200 military facilities in Russia over the past year using "drone swarm" technology.
Kyiv says it uses domestically-produced drones to hit targets on Russian soil amid ongoing pressure on its partners to lift restrictions on deep strikes with Western-supplied weapons.
Kyiv has the production capacity to produce more than 3 million drones a year but requires financing from foreign partners, Deputy Strategic Industries Minister Hanna Hvozdiar said in July.
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.
Dominic Culverwell
