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.
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.
Police officers stand by the grave of Wagner private mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a private jet crash in the Tver Oblast last week, after his funeral at the Porokhovskoye cemetery in Saint Petersburg on August 29, 2023. (Photo credit: OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images)
The funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group founder who died in a plane crash last week, was closed to the public eye on the orders of the Kremlin, the Moscow Times reported on Aug. 30, citing two unnamed Russian officials.
The oligarch who launched a rebellion against the Russian government two months ago was buried in St. Petersburg during a private ceremony on Aug. 29, without the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The task was to make sure that when the coffin with Prigozhin's body was being lowered to the grave, there would be no mass gatherings of citizens, mercenaries, and sympathizers around, as well as no videos and photos on social networks from the cemetery," one of the sources told the Moscow Times.
The officials questioned by the outlet connected the decision to the fact that Prigozhin aroused emotions among the Russian people and came to be regarded as a folk hero.
"Do we need heroes that march on Moscow? No," one of the sources commented.
A further possible motivation for a closed-door ceremony was the continuing grudge among the Russian leadership toward Prigozhin, the Moscow Times said, referencing one of the officials.
The decision on the private ceremony was reportedly taken after several discussions by high-ranking Kremlin officials and officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Following mounting tensions between Prigozhin and Russia's Defense Ministry, the Wagner Group launched a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in June, taking the city of Rostov and marching toward Moscow before abruptly ending the insurrection less than 24 hours after it began.
Prigozhin was allowed to walk free following an undisclosed deal allegedly brokered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
On Aug. 23, an Embraer Legacy jet carrying the mercenary boss and other key figures of the Wagner Group crashed in Russia's Tver Oblast, causing the death of all 10 people on board.
While the reasons for the crash of Prigozhin's aircraft remain unclear, U.S. officials named a bomb onboard or "some other form of sabotage" as a likely cause of the incident. Russia has rejected an offer by Brazil to assist with the investigation of the plane's crash.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
