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 Ukrainian Emergency Ministry rescuer attends an exercise in the city of Zaporizhzhia on Aug. 17, 2022, in case of a possible nuclear incident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant located in neighboring Enerhodar. (Photo by Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
Large-scale special exercises have begun in Ukraine to prepare for a potential Russian attack on the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the state nuclear energy agency Energoatom reported on June 29.
Energy workers, medics, rescuers, police, and other services in Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are involved in the exercises.
They will work through the algorithms for reacting to such an emergency and protecting the civilian population. Energoatom urged residents to stay calm if they see the training.
Earlier, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that evacuation headquarters had been set up in the oblasts surrounding the plant, located in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukraine plans to evacuate residents who live within a 30-50 kilometer radius.
On June 23, Ukraine's military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov told the New Stateman that Russia had completed preparations for an attack on the nuclear power plant, mined the plant's cooler, and placed the equipment loaded with explosives near four of the six power units.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that no new mines were discovered at the plant's cooler during a recent visit by its chief, Rafael Grossi. The White House has said it sees no indication that a nuclear threat in Ukraine "is imminent."
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia may be signaling its readiness to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to prevent a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the area.
Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant's dam, followed by the draining of the Kakhovka reservoir, has also posed risks for the nuclear plant. The plant used the reservoir as a water source, especially for the ponds that cool the reactors.
The situation prompted a monitoring mission by Grossi. According to the IAEA chief, the plant is now using water from a discharge channel of the nearby Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant.
The water level in the channel was at 17 meters as of June 21 and is projected to provide cooling for the plant "for many weeks."
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Russian forces have used it as a military base to launch attacks on Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Alexander Query
