Russia’s Victory Day ceasefire doesn't work - Over 100 clashes reported on the front line

Ukrainian forces reported 117 combat clashes across the front line on May 8—the first day of Russia’s self-declared “humanitarian ceasefire” for Victory Day—according to Ukraine's General Staff.

Despite Moscow’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting erupted in multiple regions. The most intense battles occurred in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian troops launched 41 assaults on the Pokrovsk front alone, one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the war. Pokrovsk lies roughly 70 kilometers northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk and has been a focal point of Russia’s offensive push since March.

Additional fighting was reported near Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk, and Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in Siversk and Torske. Russian attacks also continued in Kharkiv Oblast, while towns along the border in Sumy Oblast came under shelling and guided bomb strikes.

Civilian areas across Ukraine were also hit during the so-called truce. Regional authorities reported at least seven civilian deaths and 31 injuries over the past 24 hours, with strikes damaging homes, vehicles, and public spaces in Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

This is not the first time Russia has announced a ceasefire only to violate it immediately. Earlier this month, the Kremlin declared a truce during the Orthodox Easter holiday. President Volodymyr Zelensky later claimed that Russian forces committed nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations between April 19 and 21. Similarly, Russia has been accused of breaching a partial truce aimed at halting attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which was brokered by the United States in late March.

While Moscow continues to present itself as open to peace talks, Ukraine and Western allies have dismissed these overtures as hollow. Officials in Kyiv say that Russia’s declarations are little more than propaganda, intended to influence international opinion while its military intensifies attacks on Ukrainian cities and front-line positions.

USA and Russia discuss the potential revival of Russian gas exports to Europe

U.S. and Russian officials have reportedly held behind-the-scenes talks on the possible revival of Russian natural gas exports to Europe, according to eight sources cited by Reuters on May 8.

The discussions come as President Donald Trump accelerates efforts to broker a peace deal in Ukraine. Some diplomats involved suggest that restoring Russia’s position in the European gas market could serve as a powerful incentive for Moscow to engage in negotiations.

The reported talks may also reflect a strategic effort by Washington to monitor and influence future Russian energy flows, while helping European partners navigate political resistance to renewed Russian imports.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European Union nations have slashed their Russian gas purchases. Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom posted a $13.1 billion loss in 2024 due to falling revenues. Before the war, Russian pipeline gas accounted for 45% of Europe’s supply—now it stands at just 19%.

Despite the shift, several EU member states—including Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, and France—continue to receive Russian gas through pipeline routes or long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts.

According to two sources, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin-linked official Kirill Dmitriev have met to discuss the issue, most recently in St. Petersburg on April 11. The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which Dmitriev leads, denied the talks, saying: “Currently, there are no such discussions.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, told Le Point magazine that Gazprom would consider restoring exports to Europe—on the condition that control over export infrastructure changes hands. Reuters reports that options under discussion include U.S. stakes in the Nord Stream pipelines, Ukraine’s gas transit system, or even Gazprom itself. Another possibility would involve American companies acting as intermediaries, purchasing Russian gas and reselling it to European buyers.

Major U.S. investment firms, including BlackRock, Vanguard, and Capital Group, currently hold minority stakes in Gazprom.

However, strong resistance remains within the European Union. On May 6, the European Commission unveiled its most detailed roadmap yet to end reliance on Russian energy by 2027. The plan aims to phase out imports of Russian natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuel—resources that critics say have long financed the Kremlin’s military aggression and undermined European sovereignty.

Ukrainian Parliament voted for ratification of minerals deal with US

On May 8, Ukraine’s Parliament overwhelmingly ratified an agreement to establish a joint investment fund with the United States, marking what officials in Kyiv are calling a historic milestone in bilateral economic cooperation.

A total of 338 lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of the agreement, signaling broad political support for deeper U.S.-Ukrainian financial ties.

“This is a historic event for Kyiv and Washington,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during the session. “We look forward to completing the technical work soon and beginning a new stage of cooperation with our American partners.”

The joint investment fund is expected to channel U.S. capital into Ukraine’s reconstruction, infrastructure, and private-sector development, particularly in areas impacted by Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Russia has damaged and destroyed over 2,300 medical infrastructure facilities since the beginning of the full-scale invasion

Since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has damaged or destroyed more than 2,300 medical infrastructure sites across Ukraine, the Ukrainian Health Ministry reported on May 7.

According to the ministry, 2,020 facilities have sustained partial damage, while 305 have been completely destroyed. The most affected regions include Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of systematically targeting critical civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and ambulances, in violation of international humanitarian law. One of the deadliest strikes occurred on July 8, when a missile struck the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine’s largest pediatric medical center, killing two adults and injuring at least 34 people — including nine children. Investigators say the missile deliberately altered course mid-flight to evade defenses and strike the facility directly.

The toll on Ukraine’s medical emergency system is also severe: 116 ambulances have been damaged, 274 destroyed, and 80 seized by Russian forces.

Despite the devastation, Ukraine and its international partners have fully rebuilt 700 medical facilities and partially restored another 312, including key hospitals and primary care centers near the front lines.