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.
Illustrative image: Youngsters walk past graffiti depicting the flags of Venezuela and Russia reading "Together we will defeat COVID-19" in Caracas on March 4, 2021. (Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian authorities detained two Colombian nationals who fought for Ukraine, Russia's Security Service (FSB) said on Aug. 30. The two Colombian men were extradited from Venezuela after being detained by Venezuelan authorities during a layover in Caracas, on-route back home to Colombia.
The two men, Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina, reportedly joined the International Legion in the summer of 2023, Spanish media reported. They were detained in the Caracas airport in mid-July by Venezuelan authorities who allegedly confirmed their participation in the war for Ukraine.
According to the FSB, the men were allegedly found with document outlining their involvement with the war as well as Ukrainian military attire.
The extradition to Russia marks the first such case since the full-scale invasion began. The extradition is largely seen as a symbolic move as Venezuelan President Nicolas Madurocontinues to underscore his close relationship with Moscow, bolstered by the shared animosity toward the West.
Maduro has denounced Western sanctions imposed against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called Caracas and Moscow "loyal allies."
Earlier this summer in an attempted show of force, two Russian naval ships docked in Venezuela's La Guaira port on July 2 after exercises in the North Atlantic supposedly intended to "show the flag" in the region.
The two men were placed in pre-trial detention on Aug. 30 in Moscow’s high-security Lefortovo prison. In convicted, the men face up to 15-year in prison.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Francis Farrell
