"(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.
Flags of European Union member states fly outside the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, on July 15, 2019. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided Ukraine's state grid operator, Ukrenergo, with 86 million euros ($89.5 million) to protect the country's energy infrastructure from drone strikes, the EIB announced on Dec. 23.
The funding comes as Russia continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, testing Ukrainians' resolve as they endure another harsh winter. Earlier this month, Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Ukraine's electric grid, with 90 missiles and 200 drones again targeted Ukraine's thermal power plants.
Anti-drone shelters will be constructed with the funding to protect electricity transmission equipment and make Ukraine's energy grid more reliable and resilient, the EIB said.
"This €86 million investment is an important step in fortifying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure against ongoing military aggression. By supporting Ukrenergo in constructing protective anti-drone shelters, we aim to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of electricity across the country," EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwinska said in a statement.
The investment marks the first measures in the EIB's Ukraine Energy Rescue Plan after being adopted in October, which is slated to up to 600 million euros ($624 million) in financing for emergency energy projects across public and private sectors.
"The enemy has already launched over 1,000 missiles and daily directs hundreds of drones at our power plants, substations, and power transmission lines," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a statement. "Thanks to international support, particularly funding from the European Investment Bank and the European Commission, we are strengthening our ability to counter these challenges."
Amid Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, energy operators in Ukraine are forced to impose scheduled or emergency blackouts. Blackouts disrupt daily life and essential services.
Last March, Russia destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK, amid the third consecutive winter of energy attacks.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
