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.
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Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region, said on May 11 that a Ukrainian drone had allegedly attacked an oil depot owned by the Russian state oil company Rosneft.
The oil depot is located in the town of Klintsy, around 80 kilometers from the border with Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast.
The attack purportedly damaged the depot's foundation and the oil storage tank, according to Bogomaz. No casualties were reported.
There have been an increasing number of reports about attacks on railway networks and oil refineries within Russian territory in recent weeks.
UK Defense Ministry: Russia will ‘highly likely remain unable’ to protect railways from further sabotage
The rising number of sabotage acts inside Russia suggests that the country will “highly likely remain unable” to fully protect its rail networks against further incidents, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on May 5.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
Earlier, Bogomaz reported an attack on an administration building in Starodub on May 10, while Russian media outlet Baza wrote that it was the building of a military enlistment office.
Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Russia's Kursk region, claimed that Ukrainian forces hit an electrical substation in the village of Tyotkino, which allegedly interrupted the power supply.
Russia's Belgorod Oblast has also reportedly come under fire, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said that seven settlements were left without electricity due to the purported attack.
All the mentioned Russian regions border Ukraine. Kyiv has not commented on whether it was responsible for the attacks.
Russia has been regularly shelling Ukraine's northeastern regions bordering Russia, and Russian regions along the border have also been shelled.
Since the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, there have been multiple reports about fires breaking out across Russia and other acts of sabotage, which some believe to be carried out by the Ukrainian military or local partisan groups.
This Week in Ukraine Ep. 5 – Everything we know about Ukrainian attacks inside Russia
“This Week in Ukraine” is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independent’s reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraine’s most pressing issues. Episode #5 is dedicated to Ukrainian attacks deep behind enemy lines – on Russian soil, and i…
Anastasiia Lapatina
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