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 Russian missile hit a village council building in Kochubeivka, Kherson Oblast, killing one person on Jan. 26, Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the military administration of Kryvyi Rih, said.
The attack also injured four people, Vilkul said, adding that they have “already been evacuated to hospitals in Kryvyi Rih.”
Among them is the head of the Kochubeivka community, according to Vilkul.
Earlier in the day, Russian forces hit 11 Ukrainian regions with missiles and drones, damaging 35 buildings, the State Emergency Service's spokesman Oleksandr Khorunzhy said.
The attack killed 11 people and wounded 11 more across the country, Khorunzhy said.
According to Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Russia launched 55 missiles at Ukraine on the morning of Jan. 26, and 47 of them were downed by Ukrainian air defense.
On Jan. 25, Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast killed two people and injured three others, according to the Kherson Regional Administration.
The Russian army has been shelling the Ukrainian-held part of Kherson Oblast daily.
Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson and the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast on Nov. 11 after eight months of Russian occupation.
