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.
Kherson streets flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant’s dam on June 6, 2023. (Ukraine's Presidential Office)
As a result of the flooding caused by Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam, ten people died, and 42 are considered missing, including seven children, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on June 12. Eight people died in Kherson Oblast and two in Mykolaiv Oblast.
The number of casualties on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River is yet to be confirmed, Klymenko said on national television.
The water level continues to fall in Kherson Oblast, dropping to 3.12 meters as of 12:30 p.m. local time, the regional administration wrote, adding that 3801 homes on the west bank are still flooded.
According to the Interior Ministry, 2743 residents of Kherson Oblast have been evacuated, including 205 children and 76 people with reduced mobility.
In Mykolaiv Oblast, 31 settlements have been flooded, from which 982 people, including 167 children, have been rescued, the ministry wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile, the Ecology Ministry reported that 72% or 14,395 cubic km of water had been spilled from the Kakhovka Reservoir, an important water source for Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and southern Ukraine. As of the June 11 evening, the reservoir’s water level in the Nikopol area reached about nine meters and continues to drop.
As a result, almost 165,000 households in 32 settlements of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast have no water supply, according to the Interior Ministry’s latest update. Ukrainian authorities are delivering the water to the affected settlements and searching for other supply options.
Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant’s dam on June 6, sparking a humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Anastasiia Lapatina
