Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
President Volodymyr Zelensky commemorating Ukrainian soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces on the Territorial Defense Day of Ukraine in Kyiv on Oct. 7, 2024. (Oleg Palchyk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Russia has lost 650,000 troops, including killed and wounded, in the war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Times of India, published on Oct. 28.
Over 690,000 Russian military personnel were put out of action since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Besides the wounded and killed, this figure also includes those who were captured.
Estonian intelligence estimated that Russia could lose up to 40,000 personnel in October.
"Russia itself has killed a lot of Russians. A lot of mobilized Russian soldiers were killed by the Russian army itself because they were afraid to attack, to perish under the bullets, or to be wounded. So, they retreated and then were killed by their army," Zelensky told Times of India.
"This is their law of war," Zelensky said.
Zelensky added that Russia also does not pick up its dead soldiers from the battlefield, leaving their bodies to rot on the ground.
Speaking about the situation at the front, the president said that in eastern Ukraine, the Russian army is advancing by employing human attack waves, "throwing its soldiers into a meat grinder."
In recent months, Russian troops have been conducting a grinding advance in eastern Ukraine, making territorial gains while incurring heavy losses.
Russian troops set their sights on Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar, among other targets, with the latter located on a higher ground, after capturing Avdiivka in February. The higher ground could give Russian troops a key strategic advantage in attacks on other towns in Donetsk Oblast.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Francis Farrell
