Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 9 said the war in Ukraine was winding down, slamming Western support for Kyiv, as the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marked by mutual accusations of violations.
Mr Putin spoke after telling soldiers at the scaled-down parade in Moscow that they were fighting an “aggressive force” in Ukraine, backed by all of NATO and describing his war goals as “just”.
The Russian leader has made the memory of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II a central narrative of his 25-year rule and repeatedly invoked it to justify his Ukraine offensive.
Russian authorities typically mark the Victory Day parade with pomp and grandeur. But a spate of Ukrainian long-range attacks in recent weeks prompted the Kremlin to ramp up security measures and downsize this year’s celebrations.
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PHOTO: NANNA HEITMANN/NYTIMES
About 352,000 Russian soldiers had died in the war against Ukraine through the end of 2025, according to a new estimate, underscoring the high cost that President Vladimir Putin is willing to bear to pursue his battlefield aims.
The figure was released on May 9 – the day of Russia’s annual parade celebrating victory over Germany in World War II – by the exiled Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona.
The number raises the prospect that about half a million soldiers in total have died on the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reeling from a crushing local election defeat, faced a new setback to his leadership on May 9 when a former minister said she would challenge him for the top job if no-one else stepped forward.
Mr Starmer’s Labour Party recorded the worst losses of a governing party in municipal polls since 1995, prompting a growing number of his own lawmakers to call on him to quit.
Labour lawmaker Catherine West, a former minister, told BBC Radio that she wanted the Cabinet to work out a plan to replace Mr Starmer by May 11, or she would challenge him for the position herself.
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ST FILE PHOTO
The Lions will face 2026 World Cup bound Australia and Iraq, and Tajikistan in Group D at the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Singapore head coach Gavin Lee and his side discovered their opponents for the Jan 7-Feb 5, 2027 Asian Cup during the official draw which took place at the Salwa Palace in Riyadh on May 9 (May 10, Singapore time).
The winners and the runners-up of each group and the four best third-place teams will qualify for the knockout stage.
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PHOTO: REUTERS
England – Manchester City kept the Premier League title race bubbling with a 3-0 win over Brentford on May 9, thanks to second-half goals by Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush as they cut the gap with leaders Arsenal to two points with three games left.
City have 74 points from 35 games but their draw at Everton on May 4 means they need Arsenal – who visit relegation-threatened West Ham United on May 10 – to squander points in one of their remaining games to have a chance at the title.
“If you play for Manchester City, you think of titles every single day,” Haaland said, of his team’s title hopes.
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