While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power.”
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
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.
Illia Kyva pictured in Kyiv on 13 May, 2021. (Anatolii Siryk / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The committees of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, have been "instructed to prepare proposals to protect political and public figures" from Ukrainian attacks, Senator Konstantin Kosachev told Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti on Dec. 7.
Illia Kyva, a pro-Russian former lawmaker in the Ukrainian parliament, was found dead in Moscow Oblast on Dec. 6. According to the Kyiv Independent's source in law enforcement, he was assassinated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
The SBU has not officially commented on the death of the lawmaker, who was convicted of treason on Nov. 13 by a court in Lviv, after his trial was conducted in absentia. Kyva fled Ukraine shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Kyva openly supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, disseminating Russian propaganda through his Telegram channel. He published a post in April 2022 that said Russian President Vladimir Putin should use a "pre-emptive strike" on Ukraine, interpreted by some as an implicit encouragement to utilize nuclear weapons.
"Such a fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine," Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on air shortly after the news of his death broke.
Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into the murder, which they said took place as Kyva took a walk in a park in a Moscow suburb.
Russian investigators found two pistol cases and a cartridge at the scene and also conducted a search of Kyva's car and hotel room, which had been his home "in recent months," investigators said on Dec. 7.
Two gunshots were found on his body, and he "died on the spot of his injuries."
Investigators said they are questioning witnesses and examining forensic evidence.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
