"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.
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.
Ukrainian soldiers repair drones in a laboratory at an undetermined location in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Nov. 24, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 7 that Ukraine is ramping up drone production to the "maximum."
In his nightly address, Zelensky said that Ukraine will increase production for the "full range of drones: from Mavics to long-range drones."
"We’re also expanding our domestic capacity to produce ground-based robotic systems. What we need is constant, stable growth in the production and supply of every necessary part of the unmanned component to our forces. And for this year, the outlook is promising," Zelensky added.
Earlier on April 7, the Defense Ministry also announced that a new, Ukrainian-made ground robotic system has been approved for military use.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been developing and deploying technological innovations and cutting-edge unmanned systems. Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.
Zelensky also noted that Ukraine is working on producing fiber-optic drones: "since the beginning of this year, more than 20 new certified drone models with fiber-optic control systems have emerged."
Ukraine will aim to "reach the highest possible scale of production and delivery" of fiber-optic drones.
Increased Ukrainian production of fiber-optic drones, which are resistant to electronic warfare interference, will help even the playing field as this type of drone is frequently deployed by Russia.
"There is also positive momentum on 'deep strikes,'" Zelensky said, referring to Ukraine's drone strikes which have been used to strike strategic targets deep inside Russian territory. "I cannot mention specific figures, but this year we will ensure the necessary volume for our Defense Forces."
Kateryna Denisova
