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."
"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.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova sits with newly-elected Prime Minister Robert Fico during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia on Oct. 2, 2023. (Photo by Vladimir Simicek / AFP via Getty Images)
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has opposed sending additional military assistance to Ukraine following the electoral victory of pro-Russian Robert Fico and his party SMER, the Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported on Oct. 4.
According to the report, the Slovak Defense Ministry had prepared a new assistance package for Ukraine that Čaputová could have signed while Fico's predecessor was still in office, but the president declined, saying the parliamentary elections must be respected.
Fico is Slovakia's former prime minister. His party, SMER, won a narrow victory in Slovakia's Sept. 30 elections. While the margins were not high enough to give SMER complete control over the government, they will be able to form a coalition with another party.
At that point, Fico will likely serve another term as prime minister.
Fico has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s false narratives surrounding the invasion of Ukraine. His main campaign slogan promised that “not a single round” will be sent to Ukraine.
He has also advocated ending military support for Ukrainian defense, blocking NATO membership for Ukraine, and urging negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.
Hungarian Prime Minister and close ally Viktor Orban congratulated Fico.
“Congratulations to Robert Fico on his undisputable victory at the Slovak parliamentary elections. Always good to work together with a patriot,” Orban said on the platform X, formerly Twitter.
Orban has also opposed sanctions and aid to Ukraine.
Slovakia has been a prominent ally to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022, sending multiple aid packages and 13 Mig-29 fighter jets.
Before Fico’s election, Slovakia was the sixth largest provider of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, according to NBC News.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Peter Tkacenko
