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.
Russian military helicopters painted with the letter Z, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, are seen flying behind a cemetery near a military airfield outside Taganrog in the Rostov region on July 26, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. (Stringer /AFP via Getty Images)
Around 165,000 Russian troops have been killed since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by Meduza and Mediazona, independent Russian media outlets, on Feb. 24.
Using open-source research and statistical analysis, the report suggests that Russian losses have increased each year.
In 2022, approximately 20,000 Russian soldiers were killed. That number more than doubled in 2023, reaching between 47,000 and 53,000, and surged to nearly 100,000 in 2024.
The assessment does not account for foreign fighters or conscripts from occupied Ukrainian territories, whom Russia forcibly recruits to replenish its forces. The estimate is based on comparing roll call lists of the deceased with Russia's Register of Inheritance Cases.
Russia's total losses — including killed, wounded, missing, and captured personnel — are significantly higher, with Ukraine's General Staff reported on Feb. 24 of 868,230 such cases.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Feb. 15 that Moscow had lost around 250,000 soldiers, with 20,000 killed in battles for Russia's Kursk Oblast alone. Over 610,000 Russian troops have been wounded since the invasion began, according to Zelensky.
Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk in August 2024, initially seizing about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces after they failed to push out Ukrainian troops.
The rising casualties have fueled a surge in missing persons cases in Russia, with courts handling 20,000 such claims in 2024 — two-and-a-half times the pre-war annual average, Mediazona reported on Feb. 4.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Hodunova
