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.
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.
The team of the Ukrainian-Swiss sports startup Blocksport poses for a photo during a training program in Switzerland on Nov. 25, 2019. (Blocksport)
Ukrainian-Swiss startup Blocksport has raised $6 million in an initial coin offering, the company’s co-founder Volodymyr Liulka announced on Dec. 7.
Investors included Chinese digital asset manager FBG Capital, the Dubai-based venture fund NewTribe VC, Mexican crypto platform MEXC, and Australian investors LVT Capital, among others.
Initial coin offerings or ICOs are the process of crowdfunding with cryptocurrency - a company sells tokens instead of shares. They are considered to be very risky and speculative investments.
Blocksport’s BSPT token grants holders the ability to purchase other Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – unique digital items such as cards with the images of athletes. BSPT holders can use Blocksport’s platform to buy and sell NFTs, as well as earn some for free by just using the platform. Users can keep 90% of their profits, and a 10% commission goes to the company.
With the money raised at the offering, Blocksport plans to expand globally and hire tech specialists to strengthen their research and development center in Ukraine. By the end of this year, Blocksport plans to raise another $500,000 via ICO to accomplish these goals. It wants to eventually issue 1 billion BSPT tokens.
Founded in 2019, Blocksport has already attracted $1.2 million from traditional venture investors prior to raising $6 million in the recent ICO.
Blocksport’s primary business is helping develop mobile apps for athletes to find sponsors, sell merch or keep tabs on fans.
But the company has also set its sights on the buzzy and lucrative market for NFTs. Each NFT is a distinct digital item with a unique blockchain signature, like a sports card.
NFT can be an additional source of revenue for professional teams, which may not know how to work with the technology, according to Liulka.
Self-promotion through NFTs is especially popular among esports athletes — Blocksport works with them as well. As of December, Blocksport counts 14 esports businesses and 12 traditional sports teams among its clients, including Ukraine’s most famous football club Dynamo Kyiv, Serbian rugby club Red Star, and cycling league in Belgium.
NFTs are a risky investment because the global crypto market lacks regulation. In Ukraine, for example, President Volodymyr Zelensky vetoed a bill legalizing cryptocurrency in October because Ukraine doesn’t have money to finance a new cryptocurrency regulator.
For Liulka it should be less of a problem because his company is headquartered in Zug, also known as Switzerland’s "Crypto Valley" for having some of the best legislation for cryptocurrency users.
Daryna Antoniuk is a tech reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She worked in the same role at the Kyiv Post and has focused on Ukrainian startups, investment and the fintech market. Antoniuk previously was a tech reporter for Forbes Ukraine. Her work has also been published at Sifted and The Record. She graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv with BA in journalism and communications.
