US Vice President JD Vance said US President Donald Trump's administration wants Russia and Ukraine to agree on some guidelines for direct talks, which Vance said would be necessary to end the war. Separately, on his first trip abroad, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Paris that a visit to Ukraine in the coming weeks is now being coordinated. In Ukraine, two people have been killed and eight others wounded in a Russian air attack on Kyiv, officials said.

The attacks come on the eve of a ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin for May 8-10, as Moscow prepares for a huge parade of troops and military hardware on May 9 to celebrate Russia's role in defeating Nazi Germany. This blog is now closed. Below is a roundup of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine from Wednesday, May 7: