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.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
A U.S.-supplied M142 HIMARS used by the Ukrainian military launches a rocket. (Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukrainian troops launched two HIMARS missiles against a Russian military training ground in occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast's Volnovakha district where Russian troops were stationed, killing at least 60, the BBC reported on Feb. 21, citing undisclosed sources.
Volnovakha and the surrounding areas were captured in March 2022 during the first weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The attack took place during the day on Feb. 20 near the village of Trudivske, where units of the 36th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, commonly stationed in Russia's far east, were deployed, the Russian language service of the BBC said.
At the time of the strike, service personnel of the fourth, fifth, and sixth companies of this brigade were allegedly lined up at the training ground and awaiting the arrival of the commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military District, Major General Oleg Moiseev.
The news outlet said it possesses more than 10 photographs and videos taken after the strike, showing dozens of dead. The BBC has not published them for ethical reasons.
Serhii Bratchuk, the spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, also shared the claims on his Telegram channel, publishing footage of what appear to be Russian soldiers killed in the attack.
Russian or other Ukrainian officials have not made an official comment.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Illia Ponomarenko
