These are the key events on day 1,170 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here is where things stand on Friday, May 9:
Fighting
- Ukraine claims Russia violated its own three-day ceasefire, which was declared by Russian leader Vladimir Putin for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha referred to the ceasefire as a “farce”.
- “Iλυan Russian forces continue to attack across the entire front line,” Sybiha wrote on his X account, mentioning that Russia violated the ceasefire 734 times and conducted 63 assault operations, with 23 ongoing.
- The Ukrainian military reported 154 clashes, 15 air strikes, and one missile attack in the first 24 hours of Russia’s ceasefire.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed Ukraine conducted 488 attacks on Russian targets and made two attempts to cross the border into Kursk.
Politics and diplomacy
- US President Donald Trump again called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in a post on Truth Social, following a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- It appears that the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy has improved since their disastrous meeting earlier this year, with Zelenskyy describing their call as “good”.
- Ukrainian legislators unanimously voted to approve a minerals deal with the US in an effort to secure military assistance to deter future Russian aggression.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Putin in Moscow, where the leaders stated that the Ukraine conflict could only be resolved by addressing its “root causes” or Ukraine’s bid to join NATO.
- A longtime Russian diplomat, Yuri Ushakov, suggested that Moscow believes the White House is recognizing Russia’s standpoint on the Ukraine conflict, as he noted that there is “clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve” as a consequence of the situation.
Economy
- The United Kingdom plans to sanction up to 100 oil tankers suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which has been used to bypass international sanctions.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the UK will “do everything in our power to destroy [Russia’s] shadow fleet operation” to “starve” the Russian “war machine” of oil revenue and protect the underwater infrastructure that is essential for daily life.
