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.
Overview of the damage to the Antonivsky Bridge on Nov. 11, 2022. (Maxar Technologies)
Several bridges connecting Ukraine's east and west banks of the Dnipro River were heavily damaged following Russia's retreat from the west bank of the Dnipro River, including from Kherson, on Nov. 11.
Multiple sections of the Antonovskiy Bridge that crosses the Dnipro River near Kherson were heavily damaged, with some spans having dropped into the water below, according to new satellite imagery published by U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar.
The company also published images showing significant damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam near Kherson, with sections of the dam destroyed.
View of damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam on Nov.11, 2022. (Maxar Technologies)
The Darivka Bridge over the Inhulets River was also damaged.
The images are in line with statements made by both Ukrainian and Russian sources that Russian troops destroyed the Antonivksy Bridge and Railway Bridge over the Dnipro River, the Nova Kakhovka dam bridge, as well as the Darivka Bridge over the Inhulets River to try and block a Ukrainian advance deeper into Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, D.C.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update.
Ukrainian troops on Nov. 11 entered Kherson, the only regional capital to have been captured by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.
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