Key developments on May 9:
- Russian glide bombs attack Sumy Oblast despite ceasefire, Air Force says
- European ministers approve special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
- EU to provide Ukraine with over 1 million shells over 2025, allocate over $2 billion for military aid from Russian frozen assets
- US, European allies finalize proposal for 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Reuters report
- Ukraine detains Hungarian spy network in westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast, SBU reports
Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine with guided aerial bombs despite a three-day ceasefire on Victory Day, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainska Pravda on May 9.
While the Kremlin unilaterally announced a truce from May 8–11 , heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the front line.
Russian troops launched 130 guided aerial bombs on May 8 against Sumy Oblast, which shares a border with Russia, including Bryansk Oblast to the northeast, and Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts to the east.
Russia continued striking Ukrainian territory the following day, on May 9, which coincides with Victory Day, a major national holiday commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Russian forces launched 56 guided bombs by midday using Su-34 aircraft operating under the cover of Su-35 fighters, Ihnat said.
The spokesperson added that at noon, nearly 10 Russian aircraft were near the front line’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy sectors.
Before the ceasefire, Russia launched three waves of drones against Ukraine, totaling more than 200, according to an Air Force report. Ukrainian forces shot down 101 drones, while another 70 disappeared from radars without causing any damage.
On the following morning, when the ceasefire had started, Russian attacks killed and injured Ukrainian civilians in at least two oblasts, according to local authorities.
Ukraine is sending the war back to Russia — just in time for Victory Day
Over the past days, Moscow’s grand avenues, like every year in early May, were taken over by the growling of 80-year-old tanks and the smell of gasoline burned by military vehicles. To the delight of many locals, soldiers marched in multiple rehearsals for the May 9 Victory Day Parade in the week leading up to the actual event. But as Moscow prepares for its fourth parade since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the atmosphere this year is different. At the turn of the mont
European ministers approve special tribunal to prosecute Russia's aggression against Ukraine
European foreign ministers approved the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine during a meeting in Lviv on May 9.
The tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, aims to prosecute Russia’s top political and military leadership, including President Vladimir Putin.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
In a joint statement, coalition representatives welcomed the completion of technical work on the legal instruments necessary to establish the tribunal.
They cited the UN General Assembly resolutions on aggression against Ukraine and the Vienna-Riga Statement of Nov. 22, 2024, as the foundation for the tribunal’s mandate.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to launching the tribunal’s work as soon as possible and called on additional states and international organizations to join and support the tribunal’s activities.
The next formal step will be at the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on May 13–14.
The statement was endorsed in the presence of EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and Council of Europe Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and Rule of Law Michael McGrath.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv on May 9. The visit coincided with Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, an annual event the Kremlin uses to showcase military might and justify its war against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has long advocated for the tribunal to ensure that Putin and other senior Russian officials face justice for launching the invasion nearly three years ago.
Ukrainian authorities have documented thousands of war crimes, including deliberate strikes on civilians, cultural heritage sites, medical facilities, as well as torture and forced deportations.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Unlike other international charges such as war crimes or crimes against humanity, the crime of aggression targets only the top leadership responsible for planning and waging a war.
France is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here’s what they can do against Russian forces
In a boon for Kyiv’s offensive capabilities, France has announced it will manufacture 1,200 AASM Hammer bombs for Ukraine in 2025. Glide bombs have become an integral part of both Russia and Ukraine’s arsenals, allowing the delivery of powerful payloads for relatively little cost. The AASM Hammer is one of several modern Western models and has already been used by Ukraine to great effect. “The pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force speak very positively about this weapon,” Viktor Kevliuk, a retire
EU to provide Ukraine with over 1 million shells over 2025, allocate over $2 billion for military aid from Russian frozen assets
The European Union has pledged to supply over 1.35 million rounds in 2025 and plans to allocate nearly 1.9 billion euro ($2.1 billion) from Russian frozen assets in military support for Ukraine, Ukrainian officials announced on May 9.
The news comes as delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv to discuss the establishment of a special tribunal against the Russian leadership and new defense aid for Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and EU allies for the initiative to provide 2 million artillery rounds for Ukraine. According to Sybiha, by the end of 2025, European partners must send Ukraine at least 1.35 million shells, while work to increase this number is ongoing.
The minister also highlighted the new EU instruments for the long-term development of the European defense sector and the accelerated integration of the Ukrainian and European defense industries.
“This will strengthen European defense with our unique technologies and strengthen our defenders on the battlefield,” Sybiha said.
‘I just hate the Russians’ — Kyiv district recovers from drone strike as ceasefire remains elusive
When a Russian drone strike set a high-rise across the street on fire just after midnight on May 4, 34-year-old veteran Petro Kryvoruka shook his wife, Halyna, awake in their Kyiv apartment. As the buzzing of drones continued, he braced for another explosion. “I told (my wife), ‘Something is coming, it must be nearby,’” Kryvoruka told the Kyiv Independent the morning after the attack. “We decided to move to the corridor.” Moments later, more explosions rocked Kyiv’s Obolon district, in the nor
Following the event in Lviv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the EU has announced its intention to allocate almost 1.9 billion euro ($2.1 billion) for military support to Ukraine.
“This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund,” Shmyhal said.
One billion euros ($1.1 billion) of this sum will be used to purchase weapons according to the Danish model, that is, directly from Ukrainian manufacturers, by Italy, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands, Shmyhal added.
Another 600 million euros ($676 million) will be spent on artillery and ammunition, while more than 200 million euros ($226 million) will be spent on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, according to Shmyhal.
Speaking at the same event, French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Paris will allocate profits from frozen Russian assets to the maintenance of CEASAR 155mm howitzers, of which Ukraine has received dozens since 2022.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Europe has allocated 138 billion euros ($157 billion), 23 billion euros ($26 billion) more than the U.S., according to an April 15 report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s Ukraine Aid Tracker.
The U.S. still holds an edge in terms of military aid — its 65 billion euros ($74 billion) total leads Europe by 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) — but the gap is narrowing, as Washington has not allocated a new aid package since Jan. 9, still under the Biden administration.
How medics of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade deal with horrors of drone warfare
Editor’s Note: Due to the security protocols of the brigade featured in this story, Ukrainian soldiers and military medics mentioned are identified by their callsigns only. KHARKIV OBLAST – As is usually the case at stabilization points across Ukraine in the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale war, peak hour for the arrival of the wounded comes at sunset. Three members of one of the heavy bomber drone teams have been evacuated, two of whom are carrying nasty burns after their dugout was spotted
US, European allies finalize proposal for 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Reuters reports
The U.S. and European allies are in the final stages of working on a proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in the Russian war against Ukraine, Reuters reported on May 9, citing a French diplomatic source.
The day before, U.S. President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a “30-day unconditional ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia.
Yet, recent months have seen a series of failed peace talks and ceasefires, including one initially brokered by the U.S. in March. While Ukraine immediately agreed to the ceasefire, Russia repeatedly violated it.
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.
“We felt in the discussions with the Americans a certain irritation towards the Russian posture, the lack of reactivity and seriousness in its responses to what was proposed before,” the source told Reuters. “The decision is practically taken.”
Nearly two months ago, Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, but Moscow rejected it, demanding a complete halt on military aid to Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands. Kyiv has dismissed these declarations as a propaganda stunt, noting that Russian forces have only intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.
‘The front is noisy’ — for Ukraine’s soldiers, Russia’s Victory Day ‘ceasefire’ is yet another sham
Moscow’s self-declared truce which came into force at midnight on May 8 is not being felt on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent, reporting numerous cases of Russian military activity throughout the day. “There is no truce. There is shelling, artillery, drone and FPV (bomb) drops,” Petro Kuzyk, a battalion commander at the National Guard, said. The Kremlin announced the measure on April 28, claiming all military actions would halt on May 8 to midnight on May 11 t
Ukraine detains Hungarian spy network in westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast, SBU reports
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast, detaining two agents accused of espionage against the Ukrainian state, the agency announced on May 9.
According to the SBU, this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
The operation’s objectives reportedly included gathering intelligence on military defenses, identifying vulnerabilities in its ground and air defense systems, and assessing local residents’ socio-political views, particularly scenarios of public reaction if Hungarian troops entered the region.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been broadly seen as the most Moscow-friendly leader in the EU during Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. He has repeatedly opposed military aid for Ukraine, arguing that Western support prolongs the war.
Zakarpattia Oblast is a region with a sizable ethnic Hungarian minority and a sensitive location along NATO’s eastern frontier. Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty through political interference and dual citizenship schemes.
SBU counterintelligence detained two alleged agents as a result of a complex operation. Investigators identified their supervisor as a Hungarian military intelligence officer, whose identity has been established by the agency.
Russian regime’s legitimacy rests on the manipulation of history
World War II was a bloodbath of unspeakable proportions, planned and executed by totalitarian powers. It brought the catastrophe of the Holocaust. It also led to the division of Europe and loss of freedom of many nations in Europe, including my own. Today, at the time of commemoration of 80 years since the end of World War II, Russia is singularly responsible for launching the most devastating war in Europe since 1945. Three years into the full-scale war, Russia has failed to achieve its war ai
One of the suspects, a 40-year-old former Ukrainian military officer, was recruited by Hungarian intelligence and placed on standby in 2021.
The SBU said he was “activated” in September 2024. After that, he reportedly conducted reconnaissance on the deployment of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the coordinates of S-300 air defense systems in the region.
The agency documented that after gathering intelligence, the agent crossed into Hungary to deliver reports to his handler.
During these meetings, the Hungarian intelligence officer allegedly provided him with cash to fund operations and instructed him to expand an informant network.
According to the investigation, the agent attempted to recruit at least two individuals.
In March 2025, the SBU recorded a second meeting between the agent and his handler. The agent reportedly received a phone equipped with specialized software for covert communications.
His new tasks included identifying official vehicles belonging to Ukraine’s army, gathering data on military losses, and reporting front line developments through an identified contact in the Armed Forces.
The second detainee is a former member of Ukraine’s security forces, who left service in 2025. The SBU said her responsibilities involved reporting on the presence of aircraft and helicopters in Zakarpattia and the air defense systems at her former military unit.
The agency said the suspects have been charged with high treason under martial law. They are currently in custody and face life imprisonment with property confiscation.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that Budapest had not received any official information about the case and called the information “Ukrainian propaganda.”
“If we receive any details or official information, we will be able to deal with it then, but until then it should be treated as propaganda, which should be treated with caution,” he said.
Note from the author:
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5 things Putin conveniently left out of his Victory Day speech in Moscow
Amid much pomp, military machinery, and the threat of Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered his annual speech to mark his country’s Victory Day parade. The Kremlin’s celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. The annual event is also a key part of Putin’s propaganda efforts to justify aggression against what the Kremlin falsely portrays as “Nazis” in Uk
