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.
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.
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.
An installation of "V" and "Z" letters, pro-war symbols of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Zaryadye Park in Moscow, March 2023. (Vlad Karkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A promotional video appearing to show Ukrainian soldiers being recruited to fight in Israel was exposed as a Russian fabrication, according to an investigation by the outlet Ukrinform published Nov. 4.
The video features a uniformed soldier of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) calling on Ukrainian fighters to join the IDF. The man claims to be a Ukrainian soldier who served on the front line and joined the IDF for higher pay and Israeli citizenship.
Ukrinform journalists discovered the original video on TikTok and found that it was made by an Israeli blogger with no connection to Ukraine. In the original version, the speaker does not mention Ukraine at all.
The audio and text of the video were doctored to create the fake recruitment post.
Ukrinform previously reported on propaganda images that claimed to show Russian tanks in Israel. These also turned out to be fake.
Israel's invasion of Gaza has opened a new front for Russia's disinformation wars. Russia has tried to exploit the conflict to its own ends, implicating Ukraine in fake reports and falsely claiming that Kyiv played a role in the antisemitic riots in Dagestan on Oct. 29.
A study published Oct. 25 found that the circulation of deepfake propaganda videos amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has eroded audience's overall trust in coverage of the war.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
David Kirichenko
