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.
A screen grab captured from a video shows Sergei Surovikin addressing the Wagner PMC leadership, commanders and soldiers on June 24, 2023. (Photo credit: Russian Defense Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
General Sergey Surovikin is "resting" and "so far unavailable," head of the security committee at the Russian State Duma Andrey Kartapolov told a correspondent from SHOT news channel on July 12.
Kartapolov was responding to a query about whether he communicates with Surovikin as fresh reports of the general's arrest appear.
The Russian independent outlet Verstka reported on July 12 that, based on information from undisclosed sources, Surovikin has been detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and is being interrogated in connection to the Wagner Group rebellion.
The general is currently isolated and has not gotten in touch with relatives for more than a week, Verstka wrote.
During Yevgeny Prigozhin's armed insurrection against the Kremlin on June 23-24, the Wagner Group took the city of Rostov and marched toward Moscow, before abruptly ending their rebellion. Since Surovikin's video appeal to the Wagner Group to end their insurrection, the general has not been seen in public.
The Russian military blogger Vladimir Romanov first spread the rumors of Surovikin's arrest on June 25, claiming he was in pre-trial detention in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison.
The Moscow Times and the Financial Times reported on June 28 that the general had been arrested by Russian authorities over his alleged support for the Wagner Group's rebellion.
Later media reports contested this claim, saying that Surovikin had been interrogated but is either free or still held somewhere but "not in prison."
According to the U.K. Defense Ministry intelligence report, any move against the general is likely to cause divisions in Russia's upper military circles, as Surovikin enjoys respect among many senior officers.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
