"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.
A general view of the buildings without electricity in the Troieshchyna residential district on May 22, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. In Kyiv, power outage schedules were introduced. Ukrainian energy system is in a difficult situation due to Russian shelling of the infrastructure. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The interim head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, Oleksiy Brekht, said on Oct. 29 that the country may be facing its most challenging winter since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, as Ukraine prepares for more Russian attacks against energy infrastructure.
"The winter will be the hardest of the previous three years," Brekht told Suspilne in an excerpt of an interview published Oct. 29.
Brekht said that if Russia continues its onslaught of attacks against critical energy infrastructure as it did last winter, then Ukrainians may face up to eight hours of power outages on the most "critical" days.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow is preparing to carry out strikes against Ukrainian nuclear facilities ahead of the winter months, as it seeks to plunge the country into a lasting cold aimed at breaking Ukrainians' resolve.
Previously, Serhiy Kovalenko, the CEO of energy supplier Yasno, warned in June that Ukrainians may have electricity for just 6-7 hours per day in the winter, depending on how much of the grid can be repaired
Between March and August of this year, Russia destroyedall thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
During the interview, Brekht said that Ukraine lost9gigawatts (GW) in generating capacity earlier this year due to Russian attacks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on September 19 that the EU aims to cover around 4.5 GW of energy capacity this winter, or roughly 25% of Ukraine's winter needs. Earlier in the day on Oct. 29, the EU said that it will increase their export capacity to 2.1 GW starting Dec. 1.
According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, Ukraine's electricity shortage could reach 6 GW this winter as a result of the attacks, which is about one-third of the expected peak demand.
Despite the concern of officials, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 10 the country has protected 85% of its energy infrastructure in anticipation of further Russian attacks.
Brekht's comments echo made by NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte on Oct. 8 who also warned that "massive strikes" against Ukrainian infrastructure may disrupt energy production.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Kateryna Hodunova
