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.
Russian special forces Major Konstantin "Mexican" Maslyanko, responsible for planning terror attacks against Ukraine. Photo published on Oct. 18, 2023. (SBU/Telegram)
Ukrainian authorities charged a Russian special forces officer with preparing a terrorist attack in Kyiv in 2014 and implicated him in a successful terrorist attack near Luhansk in 2015, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Oct. 18.
The SBU identified the suspect as Major Konstantin Maslyanko, with a call sign "Mexican," an officer of special operations forces of the Russian Defense Ministry.
Maslyanko reportedly arrived in occupied Luhansk at the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014 to create groups for subversive operations on Ukrainian territory, the Prosecutor General's Office said.
For this purpose, the major recruited a woman from Luhansk, equipped her with explosives, and tasked her with carrying out a terrorist attack in Ukraine's capital.
The woman was detained by the SBU near Arsenalna metro station in Kyiv, where the woman left a bag with three kilograms of TNT and a detonator, the prosecutors said.
Ukraine's Security Service also said that Maslyanko's unit was also involved in a terrorist attack near Stanytsia Luhanska in January 2015.
In this incident, a man claiming to be local resident approached the Ukrainian military checkpoint at the contact line with Russian-occupied territories and gave the soldiers a jar of honey, which contained explosives.
The jar detonated, killing one soldier and injuring two others. The perpetrator was later detained and sentenced to prison.
According to the investigation, Maslyanko is currently in the occupied territories of Donetsk or Luhansk oblasts and continues to carry out subversive activities against Ukraine.
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.
Katie Marie Davies
