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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to conduct a full audit of all bomb shelters in Ukraine.
He also ordered a "comprehensive review" of Ukraine's air defense systems.
The decision, announced on June 2, came after three people died in Kyiv while trying to enter a closed shelter during a Russian attack the day prior.
A 33-year-old woman, as well as a 34-year-old woman and her nine-year-old daughter, were killed in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district, where Russian missile debris fell on a clinic and a residential building.
The husband of the 33-year-old woman told reporters that his wife was trying to get into a shelter in a medical facility, which turned out to be closed.
Zelensky promised a "firm" response to the people responsible and the authorities have launched a criminal investigation.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko, the responsibility lies with the head of the medical facility and the Desnianskyi district head, Dmytro Ratnikov, suggesting they should be removed from their posts.
Both the Interior Ministry and the mayor have already promised regular police checks of the city’s shelters to prevent similar incidents in the future.
There are currently over 4,000 shelters in Kyiv. Mayor Klitschko received complaints from the citizens that many of them are in poor condition, even though the city allocated 100 million Hr. ($27,100) to each district for the renovation and maintenance during the recent months.
To increase the capacities, Director of the Kyiv City Municipal Security Roman Tkachuk promised to open private and communal objects that could serve as shelters, the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported.
"We have a Fund of Protective Structures of Civil Defense. If the premises of private ownership are included in the protective structures, they must be permanently open," Tkachuk said.
"I would like to remind you that in our city today there are 4,455 warehouses, dual-use facilities, of which almost 1,100 are privately owned."
Each shelter is to be assigned a commandant or a responsible resident who will be able to make the shelter accessible when needed.
Tkachuk promised to enforce this measure in case some owners decide not to follow it.
