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.
Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent publishes a joint statement of Ukrainian media outlets on the day Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze was kidnapped in 2000. He was later found dead near Kyiv. Though the perpetrators of this crime were imprisoned, those who ordered the assassination were never identified and punished.
On Sept. 16, 2000, a group of law enforcers kidnapped journalist and founder of the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet Georgiy Gongadze. His mutilated headless body was found in November of that year in a forest in Kyiv Oblast.
Today marks 22 years since these horrific events. Since then, partial justice has been served thanks to the efforts of Gongadze’s family, the media community, and international organizations. All perpetrators of the crime were punished. However, those who ordered the murder of Gongadze have not been officially named.
Gongadze's death is one of the most notorious, but, unfortunately, not the only case of the violent death of a Ukrainian journalist. On July 20, 2016, journalist Pavlo Sheremet was killed in Kyiv. The investigation into those who ordered the murder of Sheremet is still ongoing.
On May 4, 2019, journalist Vadym Komarov was brutally beaten in the city of Cherkasy. After 46 days in a coma, he died. The crime still remains unsolved, and the perpetrators along with those who ordered the murder remain unpunished.
We demand from the authorities:
to identify and punish those who ordered the murder of Gongadze, namely, give a clear answer regarding the alleged complicity of ex-president Leonid Kuchma in ordering it;
to identify and punish the perpetrators and those who ordered the murder of Sheremet, as well as speed up the investigation of other cases of journalists’ murder, where perpetrators and those who ordered them have not yet been officially identified;
to increase the effectiveness of the investigation of criminal offenses against Ukrainian journalists, and to provide journalists with effective protection and an adequate level of security.
Today we also honor 38 of our fellow journalists who have been killed by the Russian military in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion this year. Eight of them were killed while being on assignment.
We call on the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to promptly investigate all these murders, which are war crimes of the Russian Federation, and to ensure justice not only in Ukraine, but also to put all necessary effort into bringing Russian criminals to the international tribunal.
Ukraine is fighting for its independence. Every day Ukrainians pay a high price with their lives for the society to live in a democracy with the rule of law.
After the victory, Ukraine will rebuild its life, and it is crucial for all the murderers of heroes — soldiers, journalists, activists — to be punished.
The Kyiv Independent is an award-winning English-language media outlet that offers on-the-ground reporting from Ukraine. The publication has received international recognition for its coverage of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
