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.
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.
A screenshot from a video published by Ukraine's special operations on Jan. 17 shows Russian soldiers, reportedly responsible for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war, surrendering.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces reported on Jan. 17 that they had located and targeted Russian soldiers responsible for executing two Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).
According to the unit, several were killed, and three were captured. The detainees are reportedly providing testimony.
The targeted Russian soldiers had allegedly taken two Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces fighters captive days earlier, later executing them on the orders of their company commander, the Special Operations Forces said.
The unit conducted an operation to eliminate the group, recover the bodies of the Ukrainian soldiers, and capture any surviving members.
The captured Russians were identified as marines from the 40th Arctic Brigade. During interrogations, they allegedly admitted to taking the Ukrainian POWs and executing them under orders.
Ukrainian forces reportedly killed three members of the firing squad during the operation, while three others, including one identified by the call sign "Yaryy," were captured.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify the claims.
Throughout the full-scale war, Ukraine has documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces, including the execution of at least 124 Ukrainian POWs, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.
Reports of torture, murder, and abuse of Ukrainian captives — particularly in Donetsk Oblast — have surged in recent months.
Visual evidence of these atrocities continues to emerge, underscoring Russia's disregard for international law.
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.
Daria Shulzhenko
