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.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story. More information will be provided as more details of the attack emerge.
Russia launched a series of missile strikes on the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts in the early morning of Jan. 23, damaging civilian infrastructure, killing at least nine people and injuring over 80, including children, officials said.
At least 22 people, including four children, were reportedly injured in the capital, according to the latest update by the State Emergency Service published at 4:40 p.m. local time. Serhii Popko, the city's military administration head, initially reported that one woman was killed, but Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later said that she was successfully resuscitated.
Residential buildings, a medical facility, educational institutions, and cars were damaged in Kyiv, the State Emergency Service wrote.
A large number of the victims were in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, where the attack destroyed an entrance to a multi-story building, Klitschko reported.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv, parked cars caught on fire as a missile hit a residential street. The mayor later reported that a non-residential two-story building was on fire in the district.
An unexploded warhead was found in one of the Sviatoshynskyi district's apartment buildings, prompting evacuations of the residents.
Missiles also hit a non-residential building in the Pecherskyi district of the capital.
In the affected neighborhoods, electricity and water supply have been partially disrupted. Crews are working to restore service to those affected.
In the Bucha district of Kyiv Oblast, two high-rise buildings were hit, and three people were injured by falling debris, Popko said. Farm buildings and cars were also reportedly damaged in the oblast.
Russian forces also launched a massive missile strike against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's Pavlohrad. Governor Serhii Lysak reported that a 43-year-old woman had been killed in one of the city's public squares, and another person had been injured.
Lysak added that air defenses in the area had shot down a Russian missile.
Infrastructure facilities, two schools, and eight high-rise buildings were damaged in the Pavlohrad attack, according to Lysak.
In Kharkiv, Russian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, killing eight people, including an eight-year-old girl, and injuring around 60, including at least six children, according to the latest updates published by Ukrainian authorities.
The body of the girl was found under the rubble of a high-rise residential building damaged in the strike, Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the regional police, reported in the evening. She was likely the daughter of a woman previously found dead under the rubble, according to Bolvinov.
As of 7 p.m., 60 people, including six children, are known to have been injured in the strike, according to the State Emergency Service. At around the same time, Bolvinov said that 57 people were wounded.
The search and rescue operation in Kharkiv is still ongoing, which means the number of casualties may increase.
Dozens of people were hospitalized, including children aged 10 and 12, as reported by Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov. At least five people are in serious condition.
According to Syniehubov, Russian forces likely used S-300, Kh-22, and Iskander missiles in the morning attacks against Kharkiv.
Francis Farrell
