"(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.
Military personnel work at the site of a rescue operation for missing US soldiers at Pabrade training ground in Lithuania on March 28, 2025. (Petras Malukas / AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The story has been updated with comments from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Three American servicemen who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania have been found dead, the U.S. Army's Europe and Africa Command announced on March 31.
The soldiers and their tracked vehicle disappeared on March 25 during an exercise at a training ground near the Lithuanian city of Pabrade, located about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border with Belarus. Pabrade hosts Camp Herkus, a U.S. military facility.
"Three are no longer with us and one is unfortunately probably in the same category, but they haven't declared that yet," U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 31 in the Oval Office.
Trump added that it "would seem that the bank of a lake collapsed" under the weight of the truck the soldiers were in.
"It's a massively heavy vehicle and if they slipped a little bit they… that's probably what happened, and it flipped," the U.S. president said.
The U.S. Army confirmed that the bodies were found on March 31. Their identities have not been disclosed as officials await notification of next of kin. A search operation remains underway for another missing American soldier.
"The U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available," the statement reads.
An M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was also reported missing alongside the soldiers and was later discovered submerged in a pond within the training area.
After the armored vehicle was lifted, the Lithuanian prosecutor's office announced that it had launched a preliminary investigation "to determine the cause of death."
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
