"(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.
The location of the railway cabinet relay where the Atesh group claimed on March 9, 2025 to have conducted a sabotage operation. (Atesh/Telegram)
The Atesh partisan group sabotaged a railway line linking parts of occupied Crimea with the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, disrupting Russian supply lines, the group claimed via Telegram on March 9.
An operative burned down a relay cabinet near the village of Stolbove in occupied Crimea, Atesh said, posting undated video footage of the alleged sabotage.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the group's claims.
The operation aimed to disrupt Russian military logistics, Atesh reported. The targeted railway connected occupied Crimea with parts of occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
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Purported footage of a sabotage of a railway cabinet relay near the village of Stolbove in occupied Crimea. Video published on March 9, 2025. (Atesh/Telegram)
"Equipment transport via railway is delayed, causing supply issues for the occupiers," the group said in a statement posted on social media.
The Atesh movement regularly commits sabotage attacks on Russian territory and in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The group reported a similar action against a railway in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Nov. 16.
In October 2024, Russian troops reportedly renewed their attack in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Kyiv previously warned of a potential Russian push in the southern region, just as Moscow's troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
