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.
Footage showing the destruction of the Kakhovka dam after Russian forces destroyd it overnight on June 6, 2023. (Photo: Ukrhydroenergo / Facebook)
Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant's dam in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast has put other energy facilities in the region at risk of flooding, in particular, the Kherson Thermal Power Plant, the Energy Ministry reported on June 6.
Almost 12,000 households in Kherson's Ostriv district have been left without electricity due to the flooding, according to the Energy Ministry. Issues with water supply are possible as well.
As a result of the Kakhovka dam explosion, the water level in the reservoir of the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant is decreasing, Ukraine's private energy company DTEK said on Telegram.
The thermal power plant has been inactive since May last year, but the reservoir is used to supply water to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant located in Enerhodar.
The thermal plant employees monitor the situation and are in constant contact with colleagues from Ukraine's nuclear energy company Energoatom, the DTEK added.
In general, the Dnipro cascade of the Kakhovka plant supplies water to three thermal power plants owned by DTEK. The company said the water level was being monitored on all of them, and the situation was stable.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported "no immediate nuclear safety risk at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant due to the Kakhovka dam destruction, which was confirmed by Ukraine's Energy Ministry in its latest update.
Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant's dam across the Dnipro River on the morning of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine.
Built in 1956, the power plant is crucial to Ukraine's energy infrastructure. According to Ukraine's state hydroelectric power company, the damage caused by the breach is "impossible to repair."
Around 16,000 people's homes in Kherson Oblast are reportedly located in "critical risk" zones for flooding. According to Ukraine's Interior Ministry, 885 people have been evacuated from Kherson Oblast as of 11:00 a.m. local time and the process is ongoing.
Kate Tsurkan
