Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end” - just hours after vowing victory in the conflict at a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
"I think that the matter is coming to an end," Putin told reporters of the war, which started more than four years ago. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
His comments came after the annual Victory day parade on Moscow, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. During the event, the Russian leader had voiced that he was confident of victory in Ukraine.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree "permitting" Russia to hold the Victory military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.
The parade was a far cry from past years, where it has been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Read MoreThe fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
Putin vows Russia’s victory over Ukraine and criticises Nato at scaled-down Victory Day parade
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
Russian small businesses feeling the pinch of Putin’s internet crackdown
Key Points
- Putin claims Ukraine conflict ‘coming to an end’ and thanks Trump for peace efforts
- Putin presides over dramatically scaled-back Victory Day parade
- Three dead in Russian drone attacks despite ceasefire, Ukraine says
- Zelensky: 'Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe'
- Exclusive: Zelensky says US should use its Iran playbook on Putin
Full story: Russia and Ukraine trade blame as fragile US-brokered ceasefire rocked by deadly drone strikes
20:00 , Dan Haygarth
Russia and Ukraine trade blame as fragile ceasefire rocked by deadly drone strikes
Zelensky hails discussion with Finland
19:00 , Dan HaygarthAs always, a good conversation with @alexstubb. We coordinated our positions ahead of this week’s meetings and negotiations. It is important for cooperation in Europe to remain strong, and there are now new prospects for working together. We also discussed the state of diplomatic…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 10, 2026
Germany sceptical on Putin's suggestion of Schroeder role in Ukraine peace talks
18:00 , Dan HaygarthGermany on Sunday dismissed a suggestion from Russian president Vladimir Putin that former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could coordinate talks with the European Union to secure a peace deal in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
European Council president Antonio Costa said recently he believed there was "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and to discuss the future of the security architecture of Europe.
Putin said that if such talks were to take place, Schroeder would be his preferred mediator.
A German official said the offer was not credible because Russia had not changed any of its conditions, adding that an initial test would be whether Moscow was willing to extend a three-day ceasefire.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Putin had made a series of bogus offers aimed at dividing the Western alliance.
After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline consortium and has faced heavy criticism in Germany for his closeness to Putin.
A German government spokesperson said on Friday Berlin saw no signs that Moscow was interested in serious negotiations and stressed that any talks with the European Union would need to be closely coordinated with member states and Ukraine.
Russian small businesses feeling the pinch of Putin’s internet crackdown
17:00 , Harriette Boucher
Small businesses feeling the pinch of Putin’s internet crackdown
Putin says he will only meet Zelensky once lasting peace deal agreed while claiming conflict is ‘coming to an end’
16:00 , Harriette BoucherZelensky pays tribute to 'resilient' Ukrainian mothers on Mother's Day
15:00 , Harriette BoucherRecap: Putin says Ukraine war is 'coming to an end'
14:00 , Adam WithnallVladimir Putin has said the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end”, after vowing victory “will be ours” in his address at a scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
The Russian president spoke for less than 10 minutes at the Red Square parade on Saturday morning, where only a handful of ranks of soldiers marched and there were none of the usual displays of military hardware. The Kremlin confirmed this was due to operational constraints.
Asked about the Ukraine war after the event, Putin told reporters: “I think that the matter is coming to an end.”
Putin also blamed Nato and “Western elites” for the start of a conflict that began when he ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of ceasefire violations
13:00 , Harriette BoucherRussia and Ukraine both accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement on Sunday.
Earlier this morning, Kyiv reported Russian drone strikes and nearly 150 battlefield clashes over the past 24 hours had killed three people.
According to officials, three people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions during Russian drone attacks.
In Kharkiv region, officials said eight people, including two children, were wounded in drone attacks.
Another seven people, including a child, were also wounded in the southern Kherson region by Russian drone and artillery strikes since early Saturday, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Sunday.
A child was also wounded and infrastructure was damaged in Russian attacks on the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, officials said.
Meanwhile, Russia said that Ukraine had violated a ceasefire by launching drones and artillery strikes against troops, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Russia said on Sunday that over the past 24 hours, Russia had downed 57 Ukrainian drone.
It said Moscow was observing the ceasefire.
Kremlin says Witkoff and Kushner will visit Moscow 'soon enough' to continue dialogue, Ifax reports
12:00 , Harriette BoucherUS envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow “soon enough”, the Kremlin has said.
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday that the US envoys would return to Moscow to continue discussions with Russia on the settlement in Ukraine, news agency Interfax reported.
Three dead in Russian drone attacks despite ceasefire, Ukraine says
11:47 , Harriette BoucherDespite the ceasefire agreement, at least three people were killed in Russian strikes and nearly 150 battlefield clashes took place over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian officials have said.
According to officials, three people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions during Russian drone attacks.
Several others, including children, have been injured in attacks across the country, according to reports.
Russia suffers 840 casualties in 24 hours despite ceasefire, Ukraine claims
11:00 , Adam WithnallA Sunday morning update from the Ukrainian military claims that Russia suffered 840 personnel casualties in the past 24 hours, despite a fragile three-day ceasefire supposedly being in place.
The post on the social media profiles of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia’s total personnel casualties – both dead and wounded – now number approximately 1,341,110.
Russia rarely issued updates on its own casualty figures but they are typically far lower.
Ukraine said Russia had lost 11,920 tanks since the start of the war in February 2022, as well as 435 aircraft, 33 ships and two submarines.
Ukrainian partisans sabotage Russian train engine, video purports to show
10:00 , Adam WithnallA prominent pro-Ukrainian partisan group called Atesh claims to have successfully sabotaged an electric train locomotive, according to a statement on Sunday.
The statement, reported by the Kyiv Independent, was accompanied by videos showing members of the group pouring flammable liquid inside the train and then later the locomotive in flames.
Atesh claimed the incident took place southeast of the city of Lipetsk inside Russia, and that the locomotive in question “will no longer be able to take part in transporting military trains, meaning another element of the opponent’s logistics system has been halted”.
It did not specify when the alleged sabotage took place.
Exclusive: Zelensky says US should use its Iran playbook on Putin
09:00 , Adam WithnallSpeaking to world affairs editor Sam Kiley earlier this week, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky drew a number of links between the US-Israeli war with Iran and his own conflict with Russia.
The most immediate impact on Kyiv has stemmed from the fact that the US has used up so many missiles targeting Iran, leaving it “short” of weapons to send to Ukraine.
But without criticising Donald Trump directly, he also urged the US to deal with the aggressor in Europe – Vladimir Putin – in the same way as he deals with the regime in Tehran.
He said that during negotiations with the US, Iran had been told to stop its nuclear programme, stop producing and selling missiles, and stop sponsoring terrorism – or else face the consequences.
“[The US] said, ‘Look, if you’re not ready to stop, [then] one, two, three.’ They would face aggressive steps. ‘If you are not ready [to comply], we will answer [with force].’
“In my case, what I proposed to all the partners was [this]: tell Putin. One, two, three, the same steps – and then, [if he does not comply], don’t even help us. Just give us the weapons.”
Read more here:
Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short
Trump 'sincerely wants to settle' Ukraine conflict, says Putin
08:14 , Adam WithnallIn his remarks to journalists after yesterday’s parade in Red Square, Russia’s Vladimir Putin thanked the US for its efforts to end the Ukraine war.
Putin claimed the war – which he started by invading Ukraine in February 2022 – was "coming to an end" and attempted to blame "Western elites" for starting it.
But he reserved praise for US president Donald Trump, saying: "We can see that the current US administration and the President of the US sincerely – I would like to emphasise this – sincerely want to settle this conflict."
"We are grateful for every effort like this," he added.
Germany revives effort to buy US Tomahawks, FT reports
06:42 , Adam WithnallGermany is reviving efforts to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of Berlin's strategy.
Berlin hopes to persuade the Trump administration to agree to the sale of the Tomahawks together with their Typhon ground launchers,the newspaper said.
Germany's defence minister Boris Pistorius is planning a trip to Washington, the report said, in a bid to revive Berlin's proposal to purchase long-range systems, which was first submitted in July last year. The US has yet to respond. The visit, however, hinges upon whether Pistorius can secure a meeting with Pete Hegseth, his US counterpart, unnamed sources told the FT.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is a long-range cruise missile typically launched from sea to attack targets in deep-strike missions. In February, the Pentagon said it had signed a seven-year deal with Raytheon to increase Tomahawk production as its stockpiles have been depleted by the war with Iran.
Merz condemns Slovak PM's visit to Moscow
05:33 , Harriette BoucherFriedrich Merz has criticised the Slovak prime minister after he laid flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls
The German chancellor said: “I deeply regret this, and we will discuss his visit to Moscow with him.”
Speaking at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Slovakia’s Robert Fico bemoaned what he called a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe that hampered trade, and emphasised the importance of Russia's energy supplies to Slovakia.
Putin hailed the Slovak leader for conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy and honouring the memory of fallen red army soldiers.
Kyiv: Russia has suffered more than 1.34M casualties since its invasion of Ukraine
04:00 , Harriette BoucherRussia has lost more than 1,340,000 troops in the war with Ukraine.
In an update on Moscow’s military losses since, the ministry of defence said it had also lost 11,920 tanks, 41,712 artillery systems, 435, and 352 helicopters since its invasion in 2022.
On Friday alone, Ukraine claims it took out 1,080 personnel, 1,479 UAVs, and 82 artillery systems.
'I have lost everything... We need peace': Ukrainians welcome ceasefire but demand long-term solution
03:00 , Harriette BoucherUkrainians have welcomed a three-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but say a long-term solution is urgently needed.
Kateryna Kizev, 22, who fled the frontline city of Kherson in the south and now lives in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, said: “On the one hand, this is very good because, honestly, the sleepless nights have gotten a bit tiresome.
“At least for a few days we will be able to sleep in peace and without the attacks.”
Oleksandr Boik, in Kharkiv, stated: “This ceasefire - for a day, or two or three - these are temporary measures. We need peace. It is the fifth year already. It is enough.
Another Kharkiv resident, Ramaz Tsytsyashvili, said he hoped that the ceasefire would open the way for more talks to end the war.
“I have lost everything... We need peace.
“And perhaps there will be a miracle and this temporary silence, this ceasefire, will hold up a bit and continue, and then step by step it will move to negotiations, and affairs will be solved in offices, not on the battlefield.”
World Of Trouble | Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short against Putin
02:00 , Harriette BoucherZelensky: 'Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe'
01:00 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has said “Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe”, as he emphasised Ukraine’s plans to join the EU.
Following a phone call with António Costa, the leader of the European Council, the Ukrainian president said: “We will defend our independence and our people’s right to freely choose their path.
“And in doing so, we will also defend the right of all European peoples to live as they themselves wish.
“Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe or fracturing it – there have been many attempts, but all have failed. And none will succeed.
“We discussed with António our joint work on Ukraine’s further European integration – Ukraine will take its place as a full member of the European Union. We are preparing for the opening of clusters and further decisions.
“We also discussed recent steps in diplomacy and our arrangement, mediated by the United States, to carry out a prisoner exchange with Russia in a 1,000-for-1,000 format. I thank Europe for standing with Ukraine!”
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
Sunday 10 May 2026 00:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Maira Butt writes:
Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech to claim confidence in Russia’s triumphs, as he presided over a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
Addressing the crowd at the annual parade, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Russian leader voiced that he was confident of victory in Ukraine.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree “permitting” Russia to hold the military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.
Putin attempted to use his speech, which lasted less than 10 minutes, to project strength, claiming Russia would succeed in the Ukraine war thanks to its “moral strength, courage and valour”.
But the parade was a far cry from past years, when it had been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Four years ago, Putin had stood grandly at a podium, surveying a legion of armoured military vehicles. Weeks earlier, he’d invaded neighbouring Ukraine, sparking a conflict that has dragged on ever since. During a defiant speech on that day, the Russian president launched an attack on Nato, Ukraine and a host of Western countries.
Surrounded by military hardware, he insisted that Russia was “fighting for the motherland, for her future, and so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II”.
But this year things are different. For the first time in nearly two decades, those celebrations went ahead without any showy and heavy military hardware, amid new fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes that have been hitting deep inside Russia.
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
In pictures: Russian service members participate in the Victory Day military parade
Saturday 9 May 2026 23:00 , Harriette Boucher
Special dispatch: Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right agitator to war hero
Saturday 9 May 2026 22:00 , Harriette BoucherWorld affairs editor Sam Kiley meets the founder of Ukraine’s ultranationalist Azov movement, Andrii Biletskyi, now a decorated military brigadier general holding Russia back on its most aggressive line of attack in Donetsk province:
Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right agitator to war hero
Putin’s scaled-back parade shows Ukraine war has depleted Russian military
Saturday 9 May 2026 21:00 , Harriette BoucherRussian officials defended the decision to carry out this year's Victory Day parade in a slimmed-down form, without the usual display of weaponry such as tanks and missiles.
Officials said they need their war tanks to be on the battlefield, signalling that the Kremlin does not have enough weaponry to spare even for an hour's display.
"Our tanks are busy right now," Russian MP Yevgeny Popov told BBC.
"They are fighting. We need them more on the battlefield than on Red Square."
On being asked if the parade is being scaled back, he said: "What other choice do we have?"
"Nato countries, Ukraine and Great Britain's weapons, your king and your prime minister, are threatening us,” Popov told BBC’s Steve Rosenberg.
France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison
Saturday 9 May 2026 20:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFrench police have arrested a Ukrainian man charged with committing war crimes at the Russian-run Izolyatsia prison in Donetsk.
The man is suspected of having voluntarily collaborated with Russian officials from 2017 to 2019, while assisting the head of the prison in torturing detainees, Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said. He has been living in France since 2021.
The torture prison was set up by Russian forces at the premises of a former factory and art centre, Izolyatsia, in Donetsk after capturing the city in 2014.
It swiftly became known as a site of illegal imprisonment and torture of many Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with activists and journalists, according to Kyiv Independent.
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
Saturday 9 May 2026 19:00 , Harriette BoucherThe European Union bought a record amount of gas from Russia's largest natural gas project in the first four months of the year as the Iran war pushes Europe back towards the fuel it has been trying to phase out.
The EU received 91 cargoes from Russia's Yamal LNG project between January and April, totalling 6.69 million tonnes – the highest volume for that period since the project was launched in December 2017, according to new analysis of shipping data published on Thursday by environmental group Urgewald.
The bloc paid an estimated €3.88bn (£3.25bn) for the gas over the four months, based on benchmark market prices.
More here:
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
Recap: North Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
Saturday 9 May 2026 18:07 , Harriette BoucherNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his country's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia in a message to president Vladimir Putin, congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kim reiterated North Korea's position to "give top priority" to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to "the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty," according to KCNA.
Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Zelensky congratulates Hungary's new leader as Ukraine looks to reset ties
Saturday 9 May 2026 17:17 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Peter Magyar, who was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister today.
With Viktor Orbán’s 16 years of power now over, Ukraine is looking to reset bilateral ties with the country.
“Ukraine is ready to deepen cooperation with Hungary and build strong relations between our countries based on good neighbourliness and respect for our people,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Watch: Mystery military sea drone washes ashore on Greek island
Saturday 9 May 2026 16:30 , Annabel BateA mystery armed unmanned sea drone washed ashore on a Greek island, with authorities investigating.
Footage shows fisherman towing the vessel, that was discovered inside a coastal cave on the holiday hotspot island of Lefkada, to a nearby harbour on Thursday (7 May).
It was moved on Friday to a naval base on the mainland for inspection, according to Greece’s public broadcaster ERT.
Ukraine has used drone boats in the Black Sea to fight Russian naval vessels, with Moscow having also developed maritime drones.
Authorities have not confirmed where the vessel originated, but Greek naval experts say its features resemble Ukrainian Magura-type drones which are explosive, remotely piloted ramming vessels.
Merz condemns Slovak PM's visit to Moscow
Saturday 9 May 2026 15:45 , Harriette BoucherFriedrich Merz has criticised the Slovak prime minister after he laid flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls
The German chancellor said: “I deeply regret this, and we will discuss his visit to Moscow with him.”
Speaking at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Slovakia’s Robert Fico bemoaned what he called a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe that hampered trade, and emphasised the importance of Russia's energy supplies to Slovakia.
Putin hailed the Slovak leader for conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy and honouring the memory of fallen red army soldiers.
North Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
Saturday 9 May 2026 15:00 , Harriette BoucherNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his country's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia in a message to president Vladimir Putin, congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kim reiterated North Korea's position to "give top priority" to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to "the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty," according to KCNA.
Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Europe Fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s unease amid Victory Day celebrations
Saturday 9 May 2026 14:30 , Harriette BoucherOn 9 May 2022, Vladimir Putin stood grandly at a podium in Moscow’s Red Square, surveying a legion of armoured military vehicles for the country’s annual Victory Day parade, held in honour of the moment Russia joined forces with the West to defeat Nazi Germany.
Weeks earlier, he’d invaded his neighbour Ukraine, sparking a conflict that has ground on for more than four years. During a defiant speech on that day, the Russian president launched an attack on Nato, Ukraine and a host of western countries.
Surrounded by military hardware, he insisted that Russia was “fighting for the motherland, for her future, and so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II”.
But this year things are different. For the first time in nearly two decades, those celebrations will be scaled back dramatically without any showy and heavy military hardware, amid new fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes that have been hitting deep inside Russia.
Read here:
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
Recap: Zelensky vows to defend European future on 'Europe Day'
Saturday 9 May 2026 14:00 , Harriette BoucherAs the Victory Day parade commenced in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a post on social media to commemorate Europe Day.
He said on X: "Today is Europe Day. And Ukraine marks it not formally or with banners, but truly knowing that we are already an inseparable part of the European family.
"We defend Ukraine, our independence, our future, and thereby we in Ukraine defend our Europe, a part of which Ukraine has been and will be."
'I have lost everything... We need peace': Ukrainians welcome ceasefire but demand long-term solution
Saturday 9 May 2026 13:30 , Harriette BoucherUkrainians have welcomed a three-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but say a long-term solution is urgently needed.
Kateryna Kizev, 22, who fled the frontline city of Kherson in the south and now lives in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, said: “On the one hand, this is very good because, honestly, the sleepless nights have gotten a bit tiresome.
“At least for a few days we will be able to sleep in peace and without the attacks.”
Oleksandr Boik, in Kharkiv, stated: “This ceasefire - for a day, or two or three - these are temporary measures. We need peace. It is the fifth year already. It is enough.
Another Kharkiv resident, Ramaz Tsytsyashvili, said he hoped that the ceasefire would open the way for more talks to end the war.
“I have lost everything... We need peace.
“And perhaps there will be a miracle and this temporary silence, this ceasefire, will hold up a bit and continue, and then step by step it will move to negotiations, and affairs will be solved in offices, not on the battlefield.”
In pictures: Putin at Victory Day celebrations in Moscow
Saturday 9 May 2026 13:00 , Harriette Boucher
What security measures are in place at Russia's Victory Day celebrations?
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:30 , Harriette BoucherSecurity was tight in Moscow as Vladimir Putin spoke at a Red Square parade.
Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved a broad array of heavy weapons — from armoured vehicles to nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles — every year since 2008.
Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, but this time many of them have also been pared down or even canceled altogether for security reasons.
The authorities on Saturday ordered restrictions on all mobile internet access and text messaging services in the Russian capital, citing the need to ensure public safety.
The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of ceasefire violations
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:06 , Harriette BoucherRussia has claimed that Ukraine has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement on its first day, but insisted the three-day truce was still holding.
Ukraine accused Russia of violating a ceasefire declared by Kyiv earlier this week after it launched drone attacks on multiple cities.
France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFrench police have arrested a Ukrainian man charged with committing war crimes at the Russian-run Izolyatsia prison in Donetsk.
The man is suspected of having voluntarily collaborated with Russian officials from 2017 to 2019, while assisting the head of the prison in torturing detainees, Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said. He has been living in France since 2021.
The torture prison was set up by Russian forces at the premises of a former factory and art centre, Izolyatsia, in Donetsk after capturing the city in 2014.
It swiftly became known as a site of illegal imprisonment and torture of many Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with activists and journalists, according to Kyiv Independent.
Kremlin says ceasefire in Ukraine war is for three days, not for longer
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:39 , Harriette BoucherThe ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and Russia will not extend past three days, despite Donald Trump’s wishes, a Kremlin aide has said.
Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the agreement is meant to last for three days, not for longer.
It comes after Trump told reporters: “I'd like to see a big extension.”
The US president said he hoped the ceasefire was “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought war”.
Oldest living World War Two veteran attends Victory Day parade
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe oldest living veteran of World War Two is in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia.
Kirill Semyonov is 103 years old, TASS news agency reported.
He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Victory Day celebrated in the Donetsk region of Russian-controlled Ukraine
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:21 , Harriette Boucher
