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.
A Moldovan police patrol found part of a missile near the border village of Briceni in the country's north on Feb. 16, according to the Moldovan interior ministry.
The missile’s origin is still unspecified, but a photo added to the post shows the shell of a large missile.
This is the fourth time a missile part has fallen in Moldovan territory since Russia started launching mass missile strikes on Ukraine on Oct. 10, according to the ministry, with the most recent incident having occurred on Jan. 14.
The Ukrainian military downed 16 missiles in the early hours of Feb. 16 amid Russia’s 15th mass missile strike on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 32 missiles had been launched against Ukraine.
Two missiles hit a critical infrastructure facility overnight in Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, the governor Dmytro Lunin reported. There were no casualties.
Critical infrastructure near the central city of Kropyvnytskyi was also hit, again, without making casualties, Kirovohrad Oblast’s Governor Andrii Raykovich said.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhiy Lysak reported that a 79-year-old woman was killed by a Russian missile strike on the city of Pavlohrad, 75 kilometers east of the regional capital Dnipro.
Seven other civilians, including a 79-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, were injured in the attack, Lysak said on Telegram on Feb. 16. They have been hospitalized.
Russian troops have repeatedly attacked energy infrastructure across Ukraine since early October, killing dozens of people and causing electricity, water, and heating outages.
Moscow has admitted that Ukraine’s energy system is one of its primary targets. Due to integration with the Ukrainian electricity grid, Moldova also suffered from blackouts during a mass missile attack on Ukraine on Nov. 23.
According to the Geneva Conventions, attacking vital public infrastructure constitutes a war crime.
