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.
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.
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.
A fire at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Aug. 11, 2024. (Screenshot / President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Aug. 12 that it had been unable to determine the cause of the fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that was started a day earlier.
Ukrainian officials accusedRussian forces on Aug. 11 of setting fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers" at the nuclear plant in an effort to "create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir."
Soon after, President Vlodymyr Zelensky called on the IAEA to hold Russia accountable for the alleged provocation.
"As long as Russian terrorists retain control of the nuclear power plant, the situation is not and cannot be normal," Zelensky said in a Telegram post Aug. 11. "We are waiting for the world's reaction, waiting for the IAEA's reaction," he added.
In response to the fire, the IAEA responded on Aug. 11 that its expert witnesses were "told by ZNPP of an alleged drone attack" on a cooling tower on-site, echoing claims of a drone attack shared by Russian-installed authorities in occupied Zaporizhzhia, CNN reported.
On Aug. 12, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Rossi issued a statement describing damage to the cooling stations, and adding that the agency found no signs of drone debris or evidence that the fire started at the base of the cooling tower.
"The team has not been able to draw definitive conclusions on the basis of the findings and observations so far," the statement from the IAEA read. "The IAEA will continue its overall analysis after additional review and access to the water nozzle distribution level and the cold-water basin."
The IAEA added that nuclear safety at the power plant had not been affected.
"No radioactive material is present in the area of the cooling towers, which is located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the reactor units at ZNPP," the statement added.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said that the fire had been put out in the morning of Aug. 12.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risksthroughout Russia's full-scale war.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Abbey Fenbert
