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.
Smoke rises over the site of a reported attack at a Russian ammunition plant in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, on April 30, 2025. (Astra / Telegram)
Ukrainian drones struck the Murom Instrument-Making Plant in Russia's Vladimir Oblast overnight on April 30, damaging two buildings and sparking a fire, a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
The facility, known locally as the city's "powder factory," produces ignition components for ammunition used by Russia's Armed Forces, Interior Ministry, and Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Russia's National Defense magazine.
It is under Ukrainian and EU sanctions for its role in supporting Russia's war effort.
"There were five explosions at the facility," the SBU source said. "Two buildings were preliminarily damaged, and a fire broke out."
"It specializes in the production of ammunition ignition devices, as well as components and products for the Russian Navy and Air Force," they added.
Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeev confirmed a fire occurred at a warehouse in Murom and attributed it to downed drones.
"The attack of several drones was recorded; they were suppressed by electronic warfare equipment," he wrote on Telegram.
Residents confirmed to the independent Russian outlet Astra that the Murom plant had been hit.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 34 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones were intercepted and destroyed overnight across multiple regions.
These included three over Vladimir Oblast, 15 over Kursk Oblast, eight over Bryansk Oblast, seven over Orel Oblast, and one over Belgorod Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Vladimir Oblast, located roughly 190 kilometers (120 miles) east of Moscow, hosts several sensitive military sites.
On April 22, explosions rocked the 51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate — one of Russia's largest weapons depots — triggering a fire.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
