"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.
A Ukrainian soldier loads shells into a vehicle adapted to fire helicopter shells in the direction of Toretsk, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Aug. 19, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian troops are solidifying their presence in the village of Kalynove in Donetsk Oblast as they prepare for an advance toward Stara Mykolaivka and the road to Kostiantynivka, Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState reported on April 18.
Russian forces are deploying infantry and establishing logistical routes and communication lines in Kalynove, according to DeepState.
There has been a notable slowdown in Russia’s offensive operations after months of steady territorial gains across eastern Ukraine. According to a DeepState report from April 1, Russian troops captured just 133 square kilometers in March – the lowest monthly total since June 2024.
Ukrainian soldiers operating in the area reported an overwhelming presence of Russian drones in the area of Kalynove, according to DeepState. New Russian drone crews, previously active in battles in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, have arrived to the area, the group said.
Russian forces are attempting to disrupt Ukrainian logistics and are now able to operate drones deep enough to reach Kostiantynivka, the report added.
Kostiantynivka is a city in Donetsk Oblast with a pre-war population of 67,000 people. The city has been one of the key logistical hubs for the Ukrainian military in Donetsk Oblast since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. It is currently located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the front line in Chasiv Yar.
On April 19, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that Russian forces launched 54 assault operations in the Pokrovsk sector – about 35 kilometers east of Kalynove – over the last day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17 that Russia would likely make several attempts to launch offensives in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. “And possibly in the east, because they have not attacked there for a long time,” he said.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Anna Fratsyvir
