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.
A funeral ceremony for a Russian soldier at a cemetery in the town of Bogoroditsk in Tula Oblast on March 24, 2023. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
Through open-source research, the Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, together with BBC Russia, confirmed on Dec. 1 the names of 38,261 Russian soldiers who have been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since the previous update on Nov. 17, the names of more than 1,200 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
The journalists specify that the actual figures are likely considerably higher since the information they have verified so far comes from public sources, including obituaries, posts by relatives, news in regional media, and reports by local authorities.
Mediazona added that the "sheer volume of incoming data is overwhelming our processing capabilities."
As in the previous update, the increase in casualties stems largely from Russian soldiers killed near Avdiivka, where a battle has been raging since early October.
In addition, Mediazona noted a spike in deaths resulting from fighting in Kherson Oblast, especially battles on the Dnipro River near the town of Krynky. Russia admitted for the first time on Nov. 15 that Ukrainian soldiers had established positions on the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the river.
Since the previous update, 10 names of officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel or higher were added to the list, including Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, who was reportedly killed by a landmine on Nov. 29.
Volunteers who help Mediazona by visiting Russian cemeteries also identified the deaths of Colonel Andrei Bozhok and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Yurkevsky.
Because of Mediazona's open-source methods, deaths that occurred as long ago as one year prior are added to new updates, such as special forces commander Alexei Antonov, who was killed in late 2022.
Total estimates of Russia's casualties since the full-scale invasion vary widely.
The New York Times reported in August, citing U.S. officials, that Russian military casualties approached 300,000. Those numbers included around 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injured.
Alexander Khrebet
