"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 Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Ukraine's state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom has opened a representative office in Washington, the company announced on July 9, 2024. (Ukroboronprom)
Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukrainian Defense Industry, also known as Ukroboronprom, has opened a representative office in Washington as Kyiv seeks to strengthen defense partnerships abroad amid Russia's war.
The representative office in the U.S. will focus on three key areas, including interaction with business and expert organizations, as well as cooperation with government agencies and defense organizations, the company's July 9 statement read.
The American unit will also support Ukroboronprom enterprises' projects in the United States and partner countries.
Ukroboronprom is a leading strategic manufacturer of weapons and military hardware in Ukraine. The association includes enterprises that develop, manufacture, sell, repair, and modernize weapons, military equipment, and ammunition.
Since the all-out war started, the company has relocated much of its production abroad and reduced its activities across Ukraine.
Some Ukrainian companies already have several agreements with American counterparts, Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamyshin said.
"The presence of the Ukroboronprom's representative office in the U.S. will help to accelerate (the deals') implementation and strengthen the integration of Ukrainian defense into NATO's defense industrial base," he added.
The Ukrainian company is interested in deepening cooperation with American arms manufacturers that specialize in the production of ammunition, air defense systems, and electronic warfare, Herman Smetanin, the head of Ukroboronprom, said.
The representative office will also search for investments, new potential partners, the latest technologies, and innovative developments in the U.S., according to the statement.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Martin Fornusek
