"(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.
Photo for illustrative purposes: A sign for Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces continue to operate in Russia's Kursk Oblast, despite Moscow's claims to the contrary, the Ukrainian battlefield monitoring service DeepState reported on April 26.
Russia announced on April 26 that it had fully recaptured Kursk Oblast from Ukrainian troops, who launched a surprise incursion into the border region in August 2024. Ukraine's General Staff denied the claim. A military source also told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv continues to hold territories in Kursk.
Ukraine faces a difficult situation in Kursk, but the Kremlin's announcement was "a fake," according to DeepState.
Russia has advanced in Kursk, the group reported. Russian forces have "almost completely occupied" the village of Gornal and gained ground near Oleshnya, where Ukrainian forces had been holding onto limited positions.
"These are the last villages around which the Defense Forces fighters retain control," DeepState said.
"Therefore, the Kursk Operation is still ongoing ... In particular, (Ukrainian troops) are searching for and destroying enemy logistics, their concentration points, etc."
The group reported that Ukrainian troops are still engaging in combat with Russian and North Korean personnel in Kursk Oblast.
Russia's announcement on April 26 marked the first time Moscow has acknowledged the participation of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine. Kyiv and Seoul have previously said that North Korea has dispatched around 11,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast, warning that it represents a dramatic escalation in Russia's war.
Natalia Yermak
