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 group of F-16 aircraft is seen during a flyby over Nationals Park stadium in Washington, DC, on March 30, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds /AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. Air Force has transferred decommissioned F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to supply spare parts for aircraft already donated by European partners, the War Zone reported on May 1.
According to an Air Force spokesperson, the U.S. Department of the Air Force "has supported the sustainment of European-donated F-16s to Ukraine by providing disused and completely non-operational F-16s to Ukraine for parts."
The aircraft, retired from U.S. service, are non-flyable and lack critical components such as engines and radars, making them unusable for operational missions.
On April 26, these stripped-down F-16 airframes were reportedly loaded onto an An-124 cargo plane that departed from Tucson International Airport in Arizona to Poland's Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, a key logistics hub for Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Several European allies have committed to supplying Ukraine with operational F-16s.
The Netherlands has pledged 24 aircraft, Denmark has promised 19, with initial deliveries made in 2024, and Norway has pledged between 6 and 22 jets. Belgium has also announced its intent to provide F-16s, though specific numbers remain undisclosed.
The F-16 introduced in the late 1970s, is operated by over two dozen countries and is capable of both air-to-air combat and precision ground strikes.
In Ukraine, they are used to intercept Russian missiles and drones and provide offensive capabilities to target Russian positions along the front line.
Ukraine's General Staff reported on Aug. 29, 2024, that an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a large-scale Russian missile attack.
According to the military, the aircraft shot down four Russian cruise missiles before going down, demonstrating what officials described as its "high efficiency."
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.
Kate Tsurkan
