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.
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Friday, May 9
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.
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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.
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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.
(Updated: )Victory Day
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
Ukraine's military prevented Russian troops from encircling Donetsk Oblast's Bakhmut, but the battlefield situation in the area remains "very difficult," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, said on March 9.
"Here, every move and decision can radically change it (the situation). Every day has the highest value," added Syrskyi. "I appreciate the speed of thinking of the brigade commanders I am working with."
Earlier in the day, Ukraine's Land Forces cited him saying that the importance of holding Bakhmut was "only increasing."
The battle for Bakhmut, a once prosperous industrial city in eastern Ukraine, has been raging for the past seven months. The Russian military is attempting to increase its grip over the entirety of the oblast, around half of which it currently occupies.
Despite the heavy fighting, Ukraine has not withdrawn soldiers from the city.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported in its evening update that the Russian military "does not stop trying to surround Bakhmut and get further access to the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions."
Russian forces are concentrating their efforts on conducting offensives toward Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast and Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtarsk in Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff added.
On March 8, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Bakhmut could fall "in the coming days" but that losing the city would not represent a turning point in the war.
On March 6, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also remarked that the fall of Bakhmut would not be a significant setback for the Ukrainian military, adding that the city was more of a "symbolic" than "strategic" value.
Eastern Operational Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty responded to these comments on national television on March 9, saying that he appreciated their insight, but NATO did not fully understand the situation on the ground in Bakhmut.
Zelensky says capture of Bakhmut would give Russia 'open road' to other cities of Donetsk Oblast
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