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 fire in the intensive care unit of the Kosiv Central Regional Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast killed three patients and injured four medical staff on Dec. 28, 2021. (Ivano-Frankivsk Region State Emergency Service/Facebook)
A fire killed three patients and injured four medical staff in the intensive care unit of Kosiv Central District Hospital in western Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast on Dec. 28.
Preliminary data from the investigation suggests that the accident happened due to human error.
According to the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, Svitlana Onishchuk, in total four patients were found dead after the fire, but one of them had died of Covid-19.
Three of the injured staff are in a serious condition and have been taken to Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital for treatment, the official said.
The intensive care unit on the ground floor of a four-story building caught fire on the evening of Dec. 28. Thirty-three fire and rescue officers arrived on the scene, evacuated people from the hospital, and put out the fire.
The fire damaged medical equipment and beds in a 55 square meter ward.
According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the blaze occurred due to human error. One of the medical staff lit a funeral candle when one of the Covid-19 patients died and accidentally exposed an open flame in a room where five oxygen concentrators were working simultaneously. Fires burn hotter and faster in oxygen-enriched air, which explains the rapid spread of the flame.
“Both the people and the state had to pay a very high price for such a terrible mistake,” the State Emergency Service writes.
The state agency said that they are calling on heads of medical institutions to strictly prohibit the use of open flames in intensive care units and near oxygen equipment.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
