The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
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."
Russian forces attacked the town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on May 7, 2025, destroying a 9-story building and injuring at least 12 people. (Ukraine's Emergency Service)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least 7 civilians and injured at least 31 others over the past day, regional authorities reported on May 8, some after the beginning of the Kremlin's self-declared "truce'" to mark its Victory Day later this week.
The so-called "humanitarian" unilateral ceasefire runs from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11, the Kremlin has said.
But on the morning of May 8, Russian attacks killed and injured Ukrainian civilians in at least two oblasts.
In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces hit a house with an aerial bomb, killing a 55-year-old woman at around 3 a.m. local time in the Mykolaiv community. The woman's 24-year-old son was injured in the attack.
Three other people were injured in the Yunakivka, Vorozhba, and Bilopillia communities, the local military administration reported.
In Kharkiv Oblast, women aged 18, 30, and 58 were injured when a Russian FPV drone struck their car on the morning of May 8. According to Viacheslav Zadorenko, head of the Dergachiv Military Administration, the women thought there was a ceasefire, so they went to the garden to plant potatoes.
Prior to the midnight start of the truce, Russian forces also killed at least six and injured at least 20 people in Donetsk Oblast. In Myrnohrad, two people were killed and five others injured, while in Pokrovsk, one person was killed and another was injured, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Kostiantynivka, 13 people were injured because of the Russian strikes. In Illinivka, one person was killed, and in Oleksandr-Kalyniv, two people were killed and another one was injured.
In Kherson Oblast, Russia targeted 32 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson, over the past day. As a result of the attacks, six people were injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russia attacked the Novopavlivka community, injuring a 72-year-old woman on May 7, the local military administration reported.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was injured due to the Russian attack on the Huliaipole community. Russian forces targeted settlements with three guided aerial bombs, according to the local military administration.
Over the past day, Russian forces also launched 31 drones from the Russian city of Millerovo against Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Ukraine's air defense shot down 20 drones, while another six disappeared from radars without causing any damage, according to the statement. Drones that disappear from radars before reaching their targets are often decoys that Russia launches alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.
As of 8:00 a.m. on May 8, no missile attacks or drone launches were recorded in Ukrainian airspace. However, during the night, Russian forces intensified tactical aviation strikes using guided aerial bombs in Sumy Oblast, the statement added.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Yuliia Taradiuk
