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.
Illustrative purposes: A woman holds a banner that reads 'Free Azov' during the rally on Jan. 21, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (hurricanehank/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
A Russian military court sentenced 23 Ukrainians who served with Azov to prison on the charges of "seizure of power" and participating in a "terrorist organization," the independent news outlet Mediazona reported on March 26.
Eleven were sentenced in absentia as they had been released in prisoner exchanges, while 12 prisoners of war (POW) still held in Russia have been jailed for between 13 and 23 years.
Ukraine denounced the trial as a Russian propaganda stunt, saying that international law prohibits trials with war captives and pledging to bring those sentenced back home.
The ruling comes as the conclusion of the so-called "Case of 24" that involved military personnel, cooks, and workers serving with Azov. They became Russia's captives after the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022.
Only 12 of the prisoners were present at the trial:
Oleksandr Mukhin - sentenced to 22 years
Yaroslav Zhdamarov - 22 years
Oleh Zharkov - 13 years
Anatolii Hrytsyk - 13 years
Oleksii Smykov - 13 years
Oleh Mizhhorodskyi - 17 years
Oleksandr Irkha - 15 years
Artem Hrebeskhov - 20 years
Artur Hretskyi - 22 years
Oleksandr Merochenets - 22 years
Oleh Tyshkul - 22 years
Mykyta Tymonin - 22 years
Oleksandr Ishchenko, a 55-year-old driver, died in Russian captivity in July 2024. Nine women who served as cooks or support personnel were released in a prisoner exchange in September 2023, and two more soldiers were exchanged before the trial.
Russian prosecutors demanded sentences of 16 to 24 years for the 12 men present at the trial. All of them plan to appeal the sentence, Mediazona wrote.
Some of those sentenced reportedly complained about torture and poor conditions in the detention center during their final statements, while some refused to communicate or recognize the Russian court's authority.
Ukrainian prisoners of war are being subjected to rough conditions and systemic torture in Russia, according to POWs who have been returned through swaps.
Russia has held a number of sham trials with Ukrainian POWs over the past years, focusing on Azov fighters captured during the war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 21 that Ukraine had returned 4,306 prisoners of war (POWs) from Russian captivity since the start of the full-scale invasion. Kyiv has also called for an all-for-all exchange of prisoners with Russia as part of ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire and a broader peace deal.
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.
Oleg Sukhov
