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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the morning of Dec. 17 that power had been restored for “two-thirds” of Kyiv residents, central heating – for half of the capital’s population, and water supply – for all of them. Also, Kyiv metro system resumed operating at 7:30 a.m.
Utilities like water and power had been out since the morning of Dec. 16 due to the power outages caused by Russia's large-scale missile attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that day. The metro stopped operating for the whole day, with underground stations working only as shelters for civilians.
Russia launched 76 cruise missiles at targets across Ukraine, killing at least four civilians, including a 1-year-old child, and hitting scores of energy infrastructure sites in a coordinated attack. Sixty of these missiles were shot down by Ukrainian air defense. The Air Force reported they were cruise missiles of the Kh-555, Kh-101, and Kalibr type.
Approximately 40 of the 76 missiles appeared to be targeting Kyiv. Ukraine’s Air Force managed to shoot down 37 of them, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.
It was seventh such attack since mid-October.
Following the attack, Ukraine’s state grid operator Ukrenergo said that Russian missiles targeted railway networks and power generation facilities.
“The electricity shortage in the system, which was substantial even before that, has significantly increased,” Ukrenergo said.
