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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
A woman walks a dog after snowfall on Jan. 11, 2023, in Kyiv, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia launched a missile strike targeting Kyiv early on Jan. 14, the third attack on the capital in 2023.
Authorities say the Russian attack damaged "infrastructure" in the capital and a residential building in Kyiv Oblast.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko reported that Russia was targeting Ukraine's "critical infrastructure," as Kyiv residents began hearing explosions across the city at around 9:30 a.m.
In a follow-up report, Tymoshenko said that a residential building in the village of Kopyliv, located some 50 kilometers west of Kyiv, was hit. Windows were broken in residents' homes, he added. There are no casualties reported so far.
Some 18 houses were damaged in total, with roofs and windows affected, Kyiv Oblast Governor Oleksii Kuleba said.
He added that first responders extinguished a fire at the damaged "critical infrastructure site" without disclosing its location.
"The enemy is attacking the capital and the region," Kuleba said in a Telegram post.
Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that at least two districts suffered from the attack. He reported "explosions" in the Dniprovskyi district on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.
The mayor also said Russian missile debris fell in a "non-residential area" in the Holosiivskyi District on the western bank. No casualties had been reported in Kyiv either.
Not many details about Russia's latest attack on Kyiv have been disclosed so far. The authorities had not reported the results of Ukraine's air defense yet.
Earlier in the day, explosions were heard in the capital at around 6 a.m.
Governor Kuleba reported at around 7:30 a.m. that "one of the critical infrastructure facilities" was damaged, and "appropriate services are already at the site (of the attack)."
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
