"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.
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.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces Commander, Viktor Khorenko, visited Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on March 4, 2023, to inspect the positions of his units. (Special Operations Forces/Telegram)
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces Commander, Viktor Khorenko, visited Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on March 4 to inspect the positions of his units.
The Special Operations Forces is a branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces that conducts covert operations and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.
Khorenko praised the soldiers' dedication and hard work despite the difficult conditions they face.
“All units of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine involved in defense of Bakhmut clearly fulfill their assigned tasks. Our soldiers work continuously in extremely difficult conditions and do everything to reduce the number of enemy forces daily," Khomenko said during the trip, as quoted by the Special Forces.
The visit came after the founder of the Russian state-backed Wagner Group mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that Bakhmut was "practically surrounded" by Wagner forces and called on Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the city on March 3.
However, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, visited Bakhmut on the same day.
Ukraine's military is reportedly weighing the option of withdrawing from Bakhmut as it becomes increasingly difficult to hold the city.
Eastern Operational Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty said on March 2 that the Armed Forces have the option to withdraw from Bakhmut, but such a decision will only be made if it is "absolutely necessary."
Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut despite the seven-month-long Russian attempt to capture the city as Moscow tries to increase its grip over the entirety of the eastern Donetsk Oblast, around half of which it currently occupies. [embed-post url=/national/ukraine-war-latest-us-announces-additional-400-million-military-aid-to-ukraine title=Ukraine_war_latest:_US_announces_additional_$400_million_military_aid_to_Ukraine image=/storage/austin-350x350.jpg id=50501
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