"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.
Armored vehicles in an open field near Nadiya, Luhansk Oblast. March 23, 2025. (Third Assault Brigade/Telegram)
Ukrainian forces liberated the village of Nadiya in Luhansk Oblast, reclaiming three square kilometers from Russian occupation, the Third Assault Brigade reported on March 23.
The 30-hour operation was carried out by the Third Assault Brigade, in particular the 1st Assault Battalion.
The brigade uploaded a graphic video from the operation — which can be watched here — showing armoured vehicles firing across an open field, and Ukrainian soldiers shooting in woods nearby derelict houses.
Several dead Russian soldiers are shown in the video, although the Brigade did not confirm the number of fatalities and casualties.
“The capture of Nadiya cost the enemy two months of effort and two wiped out mechanized regiments - the 752nd and 254th 20th Russian Army,” said Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Army Corps.
The village lies on the Western edge of Luhansk Oblast, around three kilometers from the border of Kharkiv Oblast. It was captured by Russia in March 2022, then liberated in Oct. 2022 before being occupied a second time.
Luhansk Oblast remains almost entirely occupied by Russian forces.
In the past day, there were 147 clashes along the front line, according to the Armed Forces General Staff.
The day before, Ukraine’s Air Force successfully struck Russian troops in a shelter in Torestsk, Donetsk Oblast, killing a number of assault groups and drone operators.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
