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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.
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Friday, May 9
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.
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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.
(Updated: )Victory Day
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
Mayors and governors in three western Ukrainian regions – Rivne Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Volyn Oblast – reported that energy infrastructure facilities have been hit by Russian missiles on the morning of Oct. 22.
Soon after, governors of the southern Odesa Oblast and central Kirovohrad Oblast also reported strikes on energy facilities.
Meanwhile, authorities in Kyiv Oblast and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast reported power outages.
The attacks continue Russia's most recent campaign to target civilian energy facilities across Ukraine. Having started on Oct. 10, the attacks have shut down 30% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Following the Oct. 22 attacks, repairs started in Rivne and Lutsk, according to local authorities.
Oleksandr Tretiak, mayor of Rivne, said that a critical infrastructure site was hit and iresidents of the surrounding areas were evacuated from their homes. No casualties have been reported yet.
Ihor Polishchuk, mayor of Lutsk, the capital of Volyn Oblast, reported that the Russian strike had hit an energy facility in the city, and part of Lutsk wascut off from electricity. He added that a residential building was also damaged due to the attack, and a civilian wounded.
Apart from electricity, the attacks shut down water supply in many of the targeted areas.
The Russian attacks cut electricity to over 1.4 million Ukrainian households on Oct. 22, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a deputy chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attacks cut off power supplies to 672,000 households in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, 188,400 in Mykolaiv Oblast, 102,000 in Volyn Oblast, 242,000 in Cherkasy Oblast, 174,790 in Rivne Oblast, 61,913 in Kirovohrad Oblast, and 10,500 in Odesa Oblast, Tymoshenko said.
“The scale of the damage is comparable or may exceed the consequences of the attacks on Oct. 10-12,” state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo said in a Facebook post.
The company is trying to restore electricity as soon as possible in parts of the regions that are still cut off from electricity, according to Ukrenergo.
Ukrenergo also said that the Russian strikes had forced the company to impose electricity supply limitations across the country. This concerns Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kirovohrad oblasts, as well as the city of Kyiv.
Intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine infrastructure unlikely to achieve Kremlin's goals
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