Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya attends a U.N. Security Council meeting on Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York City on June 23, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Russia took over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on July 1. Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's envoy to the U.N., said during apress briefing in New York that Ukraine is not on the agenda for this month.
Any member of the Security Council can propose the issue for consideration, Nebenzya added.
Each of the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, including Russia, holds the presidency for a month. Russia last chaired the organization in April 2023.
At Moscow's initiative, the Security Council will discuss the conflict in the Middle East in July, particularly the situation in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
Nebenzya said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in New York at the end of the month to participate in the Security Council meetings if "visa issues are resolved."
Answering journalists' questions about Donald Trump's promises to end the war between Russia and Ukraine "quickly," Russia's envoy to the U.N. said that it "cannot be resolved in one day."
A correspondent for Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform also asked Nebenzya about a recent Washington Post article claiming that Russia inadvertently dropped glide bombs on its own territory nearly 40 times in a year.
"Wouldn't you like to raise the issue of the security of the Russian population at the U.N. Security Council to protect it from its own armed forces?" the reporter asked.
Nebenzya replied that Ukraine and "its Western sponsors" are allegedly making up stories about how "Russia is bombing itself."
Several incidents of Russian munitions landing in the Belgorod region have previously been reported, most notably one in April 2023 that resulted in a massive crater in downtown Belgorod.
On May 12, an explosion led to the partial collapse of a Belgorod apartment building, killing 17 people. The Kremlin blamed the incident on a Ukrainian missile, but OSINT researchersconcluded it was a Russian bomb.
A document obtained by the Washington Post suggests such events are far more widespread than previously thought, as many of the bombs do not explode and land in the less populated areas around the city, sometimes being discovered days later by farmers and park rangers.
Kateryna Hodunova
