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.
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.
A Russian A-50 airplane and Su-27 fighter jets fly over the Kremlin near Red Square in Moscow on May 6, 2010. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Alexey Sazonov/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces allegedly shot down a Russian A-50 military aircraft over the Azov Sea, RBC Ukraine reported on Jan. 14, citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian military. An additional Russian military plane, the Il-22M, was also allegedly damaged.
Reports suggest that the A-50 plane was shot down immediately after it went on duty in the Kyrylivka area of Zaporizhzhia at 9:10 p.m. local time. The aircraft disappeared from radars and stopped responding to requests from tactical aviation. Later that night, the pilot of a Russian Su-30 plane detected ignition and the fall of an unidentified aircraft.
The Il-22M was on duty in the Strilkove area before it was reportedly shot down along the coast of the Azov Sea at around 9 p.m. local time. RBC posted an audio recording of what it describes as an "intercepted conversation" between the Russian pilot of the aircraft and the airfield controller in Anapa, Russia. The pilot called for an evacuation, as well as an ambulance and fire services.
Russia's A-50 aircraft provides several critical functions for ongoing military actions in Ukraine, such as detecting air defense systems, guided missiles, and coordinating targets for Russian fighter jets.
Although critically important, Russia only possesses eight of these planes. If lost in action, it would be incredibly difficult if not impossible to replace. Russia accordingly operates the A-50s at a reasonable distance from Ukrainian air defense systems. Ukraine's successful destruction of the A-50 aircraft would therefore be particularly noteworthy.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence in the Verkhovna Rada, Yuriy Mysiagin, stated on Telegram that the two planes were destroyed on Sunday evening. However, confirmation by Ukrainian military officials is not yet available.
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
Alexander Khrebet
