"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.
Ukrainian soldiers of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion Da Vinci take part in a shoot during a training exercise in the Dnipropetrovsk region on Dec. 12, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces have reclaimed part of the territory near the village of Dvorichna in Kharkiv Oblast, Oles Maliarevych, the deputy commander of the Achilles unmanned systems regiment, told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on March 24.
"Speaking of Dvorichna, you can see on DeepState (a crowd-sourced monitoring website) that there are blue zones where part of the territory has been liberated. These were very important but small operations," Maliarevych said.
Dvorichna, located on the western bank of the Oskil River, is 17 kilometers (10 miles) north of Kupiansk. Russian forces have been trying to establish a foothold on this bank for months, seeking to outflank Ukrainian defenses and pressure the strategically significant city.
The estimated Russian advance in the Kupiansk district in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, as of March 24, 2025. The blue zones show areas liberated by Ukraine (DeepState / OpenStreetMaps)
The deputy commander noted that while Russian troops have not made territorial gains, they continue their heavy assaults in the Kupiansk sector.
Russia "is currently working with infantry units. Pontoon crossings are not new, but they are trying to do it," he said. "We find them when they approach the river (Oskil), but it is not always possible. But we destroy them on the crossing, we destroy them on the approaches, and we destroy them on the left (eastern) bank of the Oskil River."
According to Maliarevych, Russian forces have suffered "quite serious losses" on the western bank of the Oskil River. He acknowledged that some Russian troops who managed to cross had entrenched themselves in makeshift defenses.
"They dug holes, occupied houses, dugouts, and basements," he said, adding that in some cases, small groups of three or four Russian soldiers are present in certain areas, which does not necessarily mean full Russian control.
Russia intensified its assault on Kupiansk in September 2024, pushing toward the city's northeastern industrial outskirts. The Oskil River has played a big role in military operations in Kharkiv Oblast, with both sides using it as a natural defensive barrier.
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.
Martin Fornusek
