Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
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."
Infantry training of Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk Oblast, Aug. 11, 2023. (Photo credit: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukraine is ready for any large-scale offensives that Russia could potentially launch in the near future, military intelligence (HUR) General Vadym Skibitskyi said on Aug. 14, commenting on recent rumors about such attacks in Western media.
Moscow is currently exerting efforts to slow down Ukraine's counteroffensive, and destroy the country's internal unity and the trust between Kyiv and its partners, Skibitskyi told Obozrevatel in an interview.
"They want to win time to restore weapons stockpiles and the fighting capacity of their occupying forces. Our task is to prevent this," the military intelligence officer said.
"Yes, it is not easy for our security and defense forces, but we have no choice but to continue the fight and we are moving forward wisely and courageously."
Skibitskyi pointed out that despite predictions of a large-scale Russian offensive during the last winter, such plans have failed.
Since mid-July, Russian forces have been concentrating around Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, trying to regain the positions lost during the Ukrainian surprise counteroffensive last autumn.
On July 17, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said that Russia was concentrating "more than 100,000 personnel, more than 900 tanks, more than 555 artillery systems, and 370 multiple rocket launchers" in the Lyman-Kupiansk direction.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its analysis on Aug. 13 that according to Russian military bloggers, Moscow's troops are slowly advancing toward Kupiansk but still require reinforcements to break through the Ukrainian defenses.
The Russian command is not currently able to deploy more forces in the Kupiansk direction for this purpose, the ISW added.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Asami Terajima
