US embassy in Kyiv warns of potential mass attack amid Putin's Victory Day 'truce'
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days and urged U.S. citizens to prepare to take shelter immediately in the event of an aerial alert.
The warning comes amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's self-declared "Victory Day truce," a ceasefire the Kremlin claimed would last from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11 in honor of Russia's May 9 celebrations.
"The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received information concerning a potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time over the next several days," the embassy announced on its website.
"The Embassy, as always, recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced."
The embassy has previously issued similar warnings as part of its standard security protocols.
While the temporary ceasefire has ostensibly already begun, Russia has continued to launch deadly attacks against civilians in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military has also reported that combat operations on the front lines have not stopped.
Similarly, Moscow's unilateral "Easter truce" was a ceasefire in name only, as Russia violated its own terms thousands of times.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Putin's latest ceasefire declaration as a "theatrical performance" and reiterated calls for a full, unconditional truce.
U.S. President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia — a proposal Kyiv first assented to back in March. Moscow has repeatedly refused these terms, insisting Ukraine halt all military aid before agreeing to a full ceasefire.
The U.S. and European allies are in the final stages of developing a proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Reuters reported on May 9.
Read also: 'The enemy is right here' — how Ukrainians living under Russian occupation defied Putin's 'Victory Day'
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NATO, European Defense ETFs: 2025 Market Leaders
In a year marked by escalating geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances, the Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) has surged 35% while U.S. stocks, as measured by the S&P 500, have gained roughly 2%. The fund's performance comes amid renewed hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and fresh uncertainty about the future of NATO itself following President Donald Trump's sharp criticisms of the alliance. These dynamics have triggered a wave of increased defense spending across Europe, fueling investor demand for companies tied to military production, surveillance systems and advanced weaponry. The most recent catalyst: a memorandum from Russia laying out aggressive conditions for ending the war, further rattling markets and boosting defense-focused equities. The Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF is designed to give investors targeted exposure to defense and aerospace companies headquartered in countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To achieve its objective, the fund tracks the Themes NATO Defense Index, which includes firms involved in weapons manufacturing, military communications, cybersecurity, aerospace systems and battlefield logistics across both the U.S. and Europe. Since NATO tracks a market cap-weighted index, the top holdings include major U.S. names like GE Aerospace (GE) and Boeing (BA), alongside European giants like Airbus AE. The ETF's strategy reflects a transatlantic alignment, making it unique compared to more U.S.-centric or Europe-only defense ETFs. With rising defense budgets, particularly among Germany, Poland and the Nordic countries, the fund has benefited from strong investor interest and real-world increases in defense contracts. But will global and European defense ETFs keep climbing? Beyond NATO, other ETFs focused on European defense stocks have also attracted attention in 2025. The iShares European Defense ETF (EUAD) provides exposure to pure-play European defense firms and excludes U.S. companies. It targets manufacturers and suppliers within the EU and U.K. that derive significant revenue from defense activities. EUAD offers a tighter regional focus than NATO, making it more sensitive to European policy changes and spending trends. EUAD leads all ETFs in this group, as it's up nearly 70% year to date. The SPDR European Shield ETF (SHLD) blends defense and homeland security exposure, including worldwide companies that work in border protection, drone surveillance and cyber-defense. Its portfolio tilts slightly more toward tech-enabled security and infrastructure resilience, making it a broader play on European and global national security than strictly military hardware. SHLD also has an impressive year-to-date gain of nearly 55%. As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on and tensions rise with Russia's latest hardline peace proposal, defense stocks may continue to benefit from political pressure and policy changes. NATO, EUAD and SHLD all stand to gain if European nations follow through on their pledges to increase military readiness and spending—regardless of the tone coming out of Washington. While a potential diplomatic breakthrough could cool some of the momentum, the long-term trend of rising defense investment in Europe appears firmly in place. For investors looking to tap into this macro shift, the NATO and its peers offer a focused way to participate in the evolving security landscape. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investing in ETFs involves risks, and investors should carefully consider their investment objectives and risk tolerance before making any investment decisions. At the time of publication, Kent Thune did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brit Hume pushes back on Trump: Ukraine ‘has quite a few cards to play'
Fox News's chief political analyst Brit Hume on Monday pushed back on previous comments made by President Trump about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Ukraine's successful drone attack earlier this week. Trump has claimed more than once that the Ukrainian leader lacked 'cards' when it came to his country's negotiations amid the over three-years long war with Russia. 'Don't tell us what we're going to feel. You're in no position to dictate that. You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,' Trump told Zelensky during a contentious Oval Office meeting in February. On Fox News's 'Special Report' on Monday, Hume objected to the president's statement after anchor Shannon Bream mentioned the recent drone attack in which Ukraine struck one of its most devastating blows in the war against Russia. 'It certainly does establish that this country whose president was being told at the White House that he didn't have any cards to play, that he apparently has quite a few cards to play, including this daring attack,' Hume responded in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. In a thread on the social media platform X on Sunday, Zelensky said 'a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory' that day. 'The preparation took over a year and a half. Planning, organi[z]ation, every detail was perfectly executed. It can be said with confidence that this was an absolutely unique operation,' Zelensky wrote about the attack. Trump, who has recently pushed for an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, was not given a heads-up about the attack by Ukraine, according to The Hill's sister network NewsNation. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kremlin dismisses likelihood of Putin-Trump-Zelensky meeting
The Kremlin has dismissed the likelihood of a trilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky taking place in the near future. 'Well, frankly speaking, unlikely [that it will happen] in the near future,' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. Peskov also added that Putin is prepared for the meeting, but that it must 'result from agreements developed at the technical level, at the expert level.' Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for the second time in person on Monday in Turkey. The meeting, which lasted just over an hour, did not yield a breakthrough in terms of ceasefire talks, but both sides did agree to swap more prisoners. The White House has previously said that Trump is open to having a meeting with both Putin and Zelensky. Russia and Ukraine are still far apart on reaching a deal to end the three-year war in Eastern Europe. Russian state media has reported that the Kremlin's demands include not allowing Ukraine to be a part of any military alliance, downsizing Ukraine's military, having Ukraine's military withdraw from partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, having Russian as the country's official language and lifting of international sanctions. Ukraine has pushed for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, which Russia has refused to sign on to. Ukraine is demanding that Kyiv have no restrictions on the size of its military in any agreement, war reparations and that the international community refuse to recognize the Kremlin's sovereignty in parts of Ukraine that it currently occupies. Trump has pushed for months to end the biggest land war in Europe since World War II and has recently grown frustrated with Putin over the Russian military's aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. The talks between the two sides in Turkey came a day after Ukraine unleashed a devastating aerial attack, unleashing smuggled drones deep inside Russia's territory to bomb the Kremlin's air bases. Ukrainian officials said the drones took out a third of Russia's bomber fleet, damaging or destroying over 40 aircraft. Ukraine said on Tuesday that it utilized underwater explosives to strike a bridge that connects Russia to Crimea. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
