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.
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.
A view of a Ukrainian tank in the Pokrovsk area as the Russia - Ukraine war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Sep. 10, 2024. (Patryk Jaracz/Anadolu/Getty Images)
Ukrainian troops may be forced to withdraw from the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, said Janek Kesselmann, the deputy commander of the Estonian Military Intelligence Center, in comments reported by ERR on Oct. 4.
The eastern front near Pokrovsk has been the scene of fierce fighting for several months and a focal point of Russia's offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The city is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces were located less than 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the outskirts of the town as of Oct. 4, according to local authorities.
Over the past week, the average number of Russian attacks on the frontline has been 167 per day, with 50% of them targeting the Donetsk direction of the front line, according to Estonian military intelligence.
"In the direction of the town of Pokrovsk, which is at the center of the attacks, Russia has advanced somewhere between 1 and 2 kilometers (nearly 1 mile) in the last week, and the distance to the outskirts of Pokrovsk, as far as we know, is about 5 to 7 kilometers (3-4 miles)," Kesselmann said.
If this intensity continues, it is likely that by the end of 2024, Ukrainian forces will be forced to withdraw from Pokrovsk and take up positions "a little deeper," Kesselmann added.
Estimated Russian advance in the Pokrovsk sector, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Oct. 4, 2024. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)
Kesselmann also singled out the capture of Vuhledar by Russian troops as "an important event" of the recent week.
Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade had defended Vuhledar, key to Ukrainian defenses in the southern part of Donetsk Oblast, for nearly two years. Russian forces had been attempting to capture the town since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Vuhledar withstood numerous attacks in recent weeks as Russian forces attempted to encircle the town. Local authorities confirmed that Russian troops entered Vuhledar on Oct. 1. On the following day, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Vuhledar.
"In our assessment, Ukrainian units have taken defensive positions approximately 7 to 8 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) to the north. And as Ukraine has been forced to withdraw from the town, we will likely see the consolidation of enemy activities in that direction," Kesselmann said.
Pokrovsk, like Vuhledar, was one of Russia's key targets in the Donetsk sector of the front line this summer and early fall.
Residents of the northern part of Donetsk Oblast will be left without water supply for an "indefinite period" due to Russian attacks, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Oct. 3.
Around 13,000 people, including 94 children, remain in Pokrovsk as the evacuation is ongoing. The town had a population of around 60,000 in January 2022.
As the security situation deteriorates, Pokrovsk's train station was closed for civilian evacuations earlier this month. Evacuations now depart from the train station in Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a city 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Pokrovsk.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Francis Farrell
