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.
An individual suspected of helping Russia's security service to plan missile strikes on Kyiv on March 27, 2024. (Security Service of Ukraine)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained two Ukrainian men accused of helping Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) plan missile strikes on military installations and communications infrastructure including the Kyiv TV tower, the service said on March 27.
As a result of a “special operation,” one 24-year-old man was arrested in Kyiv and the other in Odesa, the SBU said in a post on Telegram.
“They were preparing missile strikes on military units of the Defense Forces and energy and telecommunications facilities in the three regions,” the post read.
One of the men was allegedly tasked with identifying the locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces bases and took a job as a freight forwarder in an Odesa company that supplies food to units of the military in order to obtain information.
The other was allegedly collecting information about the condition of the Kyiv TV tower following a Russian strike on it in March 2022 and also photographed one of the capital’s thermal power plants.
“At the final stage of the special operation, both criminals were caught red-handed when they were spying on potential ‘targets’ for the occupiers,” the SBU said.
The SBU alleges that both men were recruited by the FSB at the end of January.
Both have been charged under Part 2 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and face life imprisonment if found guilty.
Nate Ostiller
