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.
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.
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 launcher of an air defence system Patriot is set up during the air defence exercise "Resilient Guard 2020" on Oct. 14, 2020, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. (Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A U.S.-made Patriot air defense system, allegedly hit by the Russian May 16 attack on Kyiv, has only 'minimal' damages and doesn't need to be shipped to the U.S. for repairs, CNN reported, citing three American officials.
According to CNN's sources, Washington sent inspectors to check the Patriot missile complex after being told by Ukrainian authorities that the system appeared to have been damaged. However, Kyiv hasn't confirmed reports on the potential damage to the air defense system.
The system itself remains functional after the attack, the unnamed U.S. officials told CNN, with no damage to the radar component, one of Patriot's crucial elements. According to the media outlet, it's unclear what part of Patriot was purportedly damaged and how exactly — by an actual missile or its debris falling down.
Russian Defense Ministry said it had allegedly struck and destroyed a Patriot system with a Kinzhal ballistic missile overnight on May 16. An unnamed U.S. official told CNN that the Russian attack had damaged the system but not destroyed it.
However, Ukraine's Air Force reported downing all Russian missiles targeting Ukraine during this attack, including six Kinzhals.
Commenting on media reports about the damage to the Patriot, the Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said it was "impossible" to destroy the system by a Kinzhal missile. Ihnat explained, according to the Hromadske news outlet, that Patriot has up to eight launchers, and the system's elements are located at a certain distance from one another.
The White House neither confirmed nor denied the information provided by CNN, and there is no visual evidence of the reported damage to the Patriot system.
Ukraine received two Patriot air defense systems at the end of April, which are viewed as one of the world's best air defense systems, enabling Ukraine to shoot down ballistic missiles.
The U.S. provided one of them, and Germany and the Netherlands jointly supplied the other. According to CNN, it is unclear which system was purportedly damaged by the Russian May 16 attack.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Illia Ponomarenko
