Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"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.
A plane of the Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines at the airport. (SkyUp Airlines / Facebook)
Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines announced on Dec. 11 the launch of a program of direct scheduled flights from Chisinau, Moldova to several European destinations, according to the company's statement.
Ukraine's airspace has been entirely closed since the start of the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainians traveling abroad must use road or rail to reach neighboring countries to catch flights. The country has explored options to reopen some airports, but lacks the air defenses needed to protect the airspace amid continued Russian drone and missile attacks.
SkyUp chose the Chisinau Airport in Moldova as it is the closest international hub to Ukraine. Chisinau is located nearly 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the Ukrainian border and roughly 180 kilometers (111 miles) from the nearest major Ukrainian city, Odesa, in southern Ukraine.
Flights from Chisinau are scheduled to start in April 2025, and tickets are already available for booking from Dec. 11, 2024. The list of routes includes cities in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Cyprus, as the statement read.
On April 11, 2023, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) published a seven-year forecast that included the likelihood of restrictions over Ukrainian airspace remaining in place until 2029.
The State Enterprise for Air Traffic Services said in 2023 that Ukrainian airspace "will reopen after the war ends."
Crispin Ellison, a senior partner at the Marsh McLennan insurance and risk management firm, said on Nov. 7 that at least one of Ukraine's airports, either in Lviv or Boryspil near Kyiv, could resume operations by the end of January 2025.
Communities and Territories Development Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Nov. 21 that Ukraine is "95%" ready to resume commercial flights, but the key remaining factor is ensuring the safety of passengers.
Olena Goncharova
