Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
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.
Stock image of military satellite systems. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Maksim Safaniuk/Getty Images)
Gilat SkyEdge satellite systems manufactured in Ukraine are being imported to Russia in large quantities and likely being used by the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, investigative journalists from the outlet Slidstvo.Info reported May 8.
About 22,000 Gilat SkyEdge internet communications systems, valued at $5 million, were imported to Russia in 2023, according to customs data reviewed by investigators. The systems were manufactured at a facility in Uzhhorod, Ukraine.
The Uzhhorod plant is run by a U.S. outsourcing company, Jabil Circuit, for the Israeli corporation Gilat Satellite Networks.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Gilat did not shut down its operations in Russia and continues to import equipment via its subsidiary, Gilate Satellite Networks (Eurasia) LLC, according to investigators.
Gilat Satellite Networks has partnered with Russian firms since the early 2000s to build satellite networks for public and private sector use, including the development of military communications technology, investigators said.
Gilat has reportedly worked with subsidiaries of industry giants Rostelecom and Gazprom, and has also provided equipment to the Russian Interior Ministry.
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The SkyEdge systems imported to Russia are sold throughout the country, with advertisements and media reports indicating that many are transferred to the Russian military for use on the front lines in Ukraine, Slidstvo.Info reported.
Roman Steblivskyi, head of the sanctions department of the monitoring and advocacy project Trap Agressor, told Slidstvo.Info that there are difficulties involved on imposing sanctions on a company such as Gilat.
"The U.S. government allows companies from this sector to operate in Russia because it is about civilian access to satellite communications under the pretext of protecting freedom of speech and freedom of information," Steblivskyi said.
"In order to impose sanctions on a business like Gilat, we need very clear evidence of not just the use of their products by the military, but their use in the war against Ukraine, on the battlefield."
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Martin Fornusek
