"(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 soldier from Ukraine's 130th Territorial Defense Battalion inspects a vehicle during urban combat exercises on March 30, 2021. (130th Territorial Defense Battalion)
Starting from 2022, Ukraine's Territorial Defense Force will be a standalone branch of the country's armed forces.
It's calling on all willing volunteers to join and help to defend their own homes as "weekend warriors" — working their usual civilian jobs but doing occasional drills and exercises in their spare time.
According to new legislation that enters force in 2022, pretty much anyone aged between 18 and 60 can enlist in the force, which expects to recruit 11,000 servicemembers across the country.
The new legislation comes into force amid the looming threat of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has massed 122,000 troops near Ukraine's border since November.
The territorial defense units, mostly consisting of light infantry, will perform auxiliary missions behind the lines of the regular military. According to the Armed Forces, this will be a full-fledged military organization rather than a paramilitary.
According to the National Resistance Act, these formations must ensure security and order behind the frontline, assist the Armed Forces in combat operations, guard key infrastructure facilities, and render assistance in combating hostile subversive activities in their local areas.
The force's backbone will consist of former active-duty service members of the Armed Forces and other official military formations. They will be given top priority, as Ukraine's military said on Jan. 7.
Civilians with no combat or service experience, however, should not be discouraged: The road is open to them as well.
Civilian recruits first need to pass medical, professional, and psychological examinations — and if no issues are found, sign a service contract and take the Territorial Defense Volunteer oath.
The new, uniformed servicemember will be commissioned to a territorial defense unit in a city or territorial district where they reside. The military is expected to have a wide candidate pool: A recent poll by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future found that 32% of Ukrainians are ready to join the force.
However, there are certain limitations: Individuals who have been convicted of serious crimes or have two or more criminal record counts can't enlist.
"The advantage of this type of service is that personnel will serve near their homes and essentially defend their hometowns," a military spokesperson said on Jan. 4.
"They will serve as commissioned or non-commissioned officers, and as enlisted soldiers. All staff members are guaranteed to get salaries according to their position... All service members will retain their civilian jobs and usual salaries... if they are mobilized for active full-time service."
Illia Ponomarenko was a defense and security reporter at the Kyiv Independent in 2021-2023. He has reported about the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict’s earliest days. He covers national security issues, as well as military technologies, production, and defense reforms in Ukraine. Besides, he gets deployed to the war zone of Donbas with Ukrainian combat formations. He has also had deployments to Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an embedded reporter with UN peacekeeping forces. Illia won the Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellowship and was selected to work as USA Today's guest reporter at the U.S. Department of Defense.
