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.
Russian forces are changing the attack tactics in Ukraine’s southern regions, Ukraine's Southern Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk said on April 2 on the national television, as quoted by UNN, a Ukrainian news agency.
According to Humeniuk, Russia started using its Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to strike civilian areas in Kherson Oblast, instead of shelling them from the ground positions that are targeted by Ukrainian forces.
Humeniuk said that Russian jets approach the area just close enough to stay out of the reach of Ukraine's air defense, and shoot guided aerial bombs at the government-controlled parts of Kherson Oblast.
According to Humeniuk, Russians were forced to switch to airborne attacks in the area because Ukrainian forces have been successfully targeting Russian firing positions in the 30-kilometer strip on the Russian-held eastern bank of Dnipro in Kherson Oblast.
Kherson oblast and its capital city remain under daily fire after Ukrainian troops pushed Russians out of the city in early November.
Just in the last 24 hours, Russian forces attacked southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblast with S-300 missile systems, Iskander ballistic missiles, heavy 300 mm Smerch multiple rocket launchers, other artillery systems, mortars, tanks, and fighter jets in the last 24 hours.
Ukrainian air defense is shooting down 80% of Russian missiles, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, commander of the Ukrainian Joint Forces said on March 1.
