"(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 Ukrainian serviceman of the military intelligence agency launches a naval drone Magura during a demonstration for journalists on April 13, 2024, in Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) shot down two Russian Su-30 fighter jets using air-to-air missiles fired from Magura-7 sea drones near Novorossiysk on May 2, HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov told the War Zone on May 3.
The operation marks the first time in history that fighter jets have been downed by unmanned boats. Initially, reports confirmed the destruction of only one jet, but Budanov later clarified that two aircraft were hit.
"It's a historical moment," he told the publication.
According to HUR, Group 13, a special operations unit within the agency, executed the strike. A video of the first downed Su-30 was released and widely shared on social media, though no visual evidence of the second strike has emerged.
World first: On May 2, 2025, the @DI_Ukraine special operations unit, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine and Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea.
— Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) May 3, 2025
Budanov said the crew of the first jet survived and was rescued by a civilian vessel, while the second crew is believed to have been killed.
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a $50 million twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter designed by Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau. HUR claimed that the aircraft were hit midair and crashed into the Black Sea.
The Kyiv Independent can't independently verify all the claims.
The Magura-7 drone, deployed in this operation, is an air defense type of the Magura-5, which previously downed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters on Dec. 31.
Ukraine has repeatedly used maritime drones to inflict heavy losses on Russian assets in the Black Sea. The Magura drones sank the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov on March 5, 2024, and the landing ship Caesar Kunikov on Feb. 14, 2024.
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.
Olena Goncharova
