"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
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 aftermath of the Russian attack on an "Epitsentr" hypermarket in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 25, 2024. (Denys Klymenko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has identified four Russian generals and one colonel responsible for the deadly attack on a hypermarket in Kharkiv, the agency reported on Jan. 30.
The attack on the Epicenter hypermarket was carried out with guided aerial bombs on May 25. It killed 19 people, including two children, and injured 46 others. A third bomb, which did not detonate, was later found at the site.
According to the investigation, Russian forces used Su-34 bombers to launch three UMPB D-30SN guided bombs at the hypermarket.
The SBU identified Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, commander of Russia's North military group, as the official who ordered the strike. His chief of staff, Lieutenant General Valery Solodchuk, planned out the attack, according to the SBU.
Three more officers were allegedly involved in the planning and execution:
Lieutenant General Oleg Makovetsky, commander of the 6th Army of the Russian Air Force;
Major General Yury Podoplelov, chief of staff of the 6th Army of the Russian Air Force;
Colonel Alexey Loboda, commander of the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
The SBU charged all five officers in absentia with violating the laws and customs of war, resulting in loss of life, committed by prior conspiracy.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city located just over 20 kilometers from the Russian border, remains particularly vulnerable to Russia's guided bombs. Due to the city's proximity to Russia, Russian aircraft can strike at Kharkiv from within their own airspace.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Denisova
