"(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.
A photo alledging to show the Crocus City Hall on fire in Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2024. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the veracity of the claim. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)
Iran warned Russia of the possibility of a major "terrorist operation" on Russian territory ahead of the shooting outside Moscow last month, Reuters reported on April 1, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Several gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow's suburb, on the evening of March 22, killing at least 144 people. A branch of the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly thereafter.
The U.S. Embassy in Russia, as well as a number of other countries, issued a warning on March 7 that "extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow" and urged American citizens to stay away from crowded areas and venues over the next 48 hours.
Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the FSB, claimed that U.S. warnings were only "general."
A few days before the attack, Tehran also shared data with Moscow obtained during interrogations of those arrested in connection with the January deadly bombings in the Iranian city of Kerman, one of the sources told Reuters.
There were no details on the exact time and purpose of the attack outside Russia's capital, another source said. Both attacks in Kerman and near Moscow involved Tajik citizens, Reuters wrote.
Tehran has recently discussed with Dushanbe the issue of increased involvement of ethnic Tajiks in militant activities, the news agency reported, citing a diplomatic source in Tajikistan.
Russian authorities detained 11 people in the first 24 hours following the attack. A court in Moscow charged four of them, all of whom are citizens of Tajikistan, with committing an act of terrorism on March 24.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, along with other top Russian officials, sought to pin theblame on Ukraine without providing any evidence.
Kateryna Denisova
