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.
A Ukrainian tank fires on the Bakhmut front line in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 8, 2023. (via Getty Images)
The importance of holding Bakhmut is "only increasing," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, said on March 9.
According to Syrskyi, the main reasons behind this are that it allows Ukraine to prepare its reserves for future counteroffensives and exhausts the resources of the Russian army, namely the "most prepared and combat-capable" soldiers from the Wagner private military contractor group.
The battle for Bakhmut, a once prosperous industrial city in Donetsk Oblast, has been raging for the past seven months. The Russian military is attempting to increase its grip over the entirety of the oblast, around half of which it currently occupies.
Despite the heavy fighting, Ukraine has not withdrawn soldiers from the city.
On March 8, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Bakhmut could fall "in the coming days," but that the loss of the city would not represent a turning point in the war.
On March 6, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also remarked that the fall of Bakhmut would not be a significant setback for the Ukrainian military, adding that the city was more of a "symbolic" than "strategic" value.
Eastern Operational Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty responded to these comments on national television on March 9, saying that he appreciated their insight, but that NATO did not fully understand the situation on the ground in Bakhmut.
"The most recent conflict that NATO had somewhat tangential involvement in was the wars in the former Yugoslavia. These conflicts were relatively smaller in scale and required less deployment of troops. NATO is more accustomed to carrying out stabilization, training, and peacekeeping missions," Cherevaty said.
Cherevaty also recalled that some Western allies had predicted Kyiv would fall at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 to further his point.
"They approach this purely pragmatically with dry calculations, sometimes not understanding that Ukrainians have developed much greater stability, non-standard actions, and the power of tactical decisions during the past year of war," Cherevaty added.
"I think others need to study this. They are already studying it."
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
