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.
A Russian Navy ship is pictured through binoculars as it passes near the German Navy Frigate Sachsen on June 6, 2022, in the Baltic Sea. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty Images)
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation on April 9 to intensify the enforcement of sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers, seeking to crack down on oil shipments that fund Moscow's war against Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The proposed law would authorize U.S. authorities to confiscate oil cargoes transported by vessels blacklisted by the Treasury Department. Proceeds from the sale of the seized oil would be directed toward reducing the U.S. national debt.
Despite price caps and sanctions imposed by the G7 and EU, Russia has maintained significant oil exports by relying on a shadow fleet — vessels that often operate under obscure ownership structures, use flags of convenience, and evade Western oversight.
The bill calls for the creation of a $150 million Russian Sanctions Enforcement Fund within the Treasury Department to bolster efforts to monitor and disrupt illegal oil trade networks.
"Russia is continuing its malign actions by operating a 'ghost fleet' to evade U.S. sanctions, enrich its own war machine, and even aid Iranian oil smuggling," said Republican Senator Joni Ernst, one of the bill's sponsors.
"In addition to disrupting Moscow's malign efforts to undermine U.S. law, this bill will also arm our nation to utilize the seized assets and pay down our own debt," she added.
The proposed bill would also expand intelligence sharing to help track vessels involved in sanctions evasion and bolster law enforcement capabilities to dismantle Moscow's energy export networks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 10 that Kyiv is preparing its own sanctions targeting Russia's shadow fleet.
"There is a corresponding justification from the special services; these are strong packages," Zelensky said. "These are about the shadow tanker fleet that Moscow uses to finance the war."
As of January, more than 200 tankers were under U.S. sanctions for facilitating the transport of Russian oil in violation of international restrictions.
The Biden administration's final sanctions package, introduced in early January, targeted 180 vessels — a fleet responsible for roughly half of Russia's offshore oil exports.
German authorities seized one such vessel, the Panama-flagged Eventin, in late March. The tanker was carrying approximately 100,000 tons of Russian oil, which was confiscated.
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.
Chris York
