[Korrespondent] 23.51 The Kremlin reacted to the permission of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold a parade in Moscow on May 9.
"We don't need anyone's permission. Woe to the one who tries to joke about Victory Day and make such stupid jokes. This is probably more likely his big trouble. And we don't need anyone's permission to be proud of our Victory Day," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
22.54 Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow and made a statement regarding the "end" of the Russian-Ukrainian war. This was reported by the Russian service of Radio Liberty.
Upon arrival, the prime minister expressed his belief that "we are already approaching the end" of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He added that the "main message" he wants to convey to Vladimir Putin is the word "dialogue."
22.29 Russia has agreed to US President Donald Trump's initiative for a ceasefire with Ukraine from May 9 to 11 and a prisoner exchange in a "thousand-for-thousand" format. This was stated by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Russian media reported.
"On behalf of Vladimir Putin, I confirm the acceptability for the Russian side of the initiative just proposed by US President Donald Trump regarding a truce for the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine," Ushakov said.
He confirmed that it was agreed to carry out a prisoner exchange during the ceasefire period from May 9 to 11 inclusive.
On November 22, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree authorizing a Victory Day parade in Moscow.
"In view of numerous requests, for the humanitarian purpose outlined in the negotiations with the American side on May 8, 2026, I decide: to allow the parade to be held in Moscow (Russian Federation) on May 9, 2026," the document states.
21.54 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the ceasefire with the Russian Federation and announced a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced the introduction of a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia from May 9 to 11.
"Today, within the framework of the negotiation process, mediated by the American side, we received Russia's consent to conduct a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange. A regime of silence should also be established on May 9, 10, and 11. Ukraine is consistently working to return its people from Russian captivity. I instructed our team to promptly prepare everything necessary for the exchange," the head of state of Ukraine noted.
20.22 The court found a former Ukrainian judge of the Novoazovsky District Court of Donetsk region guilty of high treason. He was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. The Prosecutor General's Office reported this on May 8.
19:50 The destruction of the Kedrovka GRAU arsenal and two explosives and FAB production enterprises has been confirmed. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on May 8.
"A hit on April 25, 2026, in a building on the territory of the Kedrovka GRAU (Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense) arsenal in the settlement of Kedrovka, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia, has been confirmed," the report says.
It was also confirmed that on April 30, 2026, the production buildings of the Ya.M. Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk (Nizhny Novgorod region, Russian Federation) were damaged.
19.46 The situation on the front line remains difficult, Russian troops have intensified offensive actions virtually along the entire front and are regrouping forces. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, following a working meeting.
The Pokrovsky direction remains the most tense, where Russian troops have concentrated about 106,000 servicemen. However, high enemy activity is also recorded in the Ocheretinsky, Oleksandrivsky, Kupyansky and Konstantinivsky directions, and along the border with the Russian Federation.
19.30 Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine yesterday and on the night of May 8 struck a number of important objects of the Russian occupiers. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that the Yaroslavl oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region of the Russian Federation was hit. A fire was recorded on the territory. The extent of the damage is being clarified.
19.10 Specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have inspected substations critical to nuclear safety. This was reported by NPC Ukrenergo on May 8. It is noted that the inspectors recorded and documented the consequences of Russian missile and drone attacks on high-voltage substations that provide power output and power supply for the own needs of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
18.45 During the war in Ukraine, 393 polling stations were completely destroyed, 1,001 were damaged, but are subject to restoration. This was reported by Serhiy Dubovyk, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Ukrinform reports. "Today, there are 33,258 permanent polling stations in Ukraine. Of these, 27,300 are in controlled territory, 5,854 are in uncontrolled territory, and 104 are abroad. As for the buildings and premises of polling stations, 393 polling stations were destroyed during the war and are not subject to restoration. 1,001 polling stations are damaged, but are subject to restoration," he noted.
19.00 The Cabinet of Ministers proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to increase state budget revenues for 2026 by over UAH 2.2 trillion. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced this on Telegram. Of these, an additional UAH 1.56 trillion is earmarked for the security and defense sector.
18.39 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters based on the results of his trip to the southern front. He said this in a video address.
17.48 SBS groups hit the Tor-M2 air defense system, the Tunguska air defense system, an oil depot, communication hubs, and other key Russian facilities. The Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in a video.
17.33 Russia continues shelling and Ukraine will respond in kind. Tomorrow, May 9, depends on what is heard from the Russian Federation today. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a video address.
17.01 A Russian agent, who was detained by the SBU in May 2025 in Dnipro, received 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. The SBU reports this. As the investigation established, the attacker, on the orders of the Russian Federation, set fire to a relay cabinet near the local Ukrzaliznytsia station. In this way, the enemy hoped to disrupt transport logistics in the frontline region.
16.52 Since the beginning of the day, Russian aggressors have attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 52 times in 11 directions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational summary.
The most active clashes continue in the Pokrovsky direction, where the occupiers are trying to advance in the areas of 11 settlements.
16.42 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington is ready to continue acting as a mediator in negotiations regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war, but does not plan to waste resources on a process without tangible progress.
According to Rubio, the US has already tried to mediate in the negotiations, but these efforts have not yet yielded results "for a number of reasons."
16.21 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov held talks with special representatives of the US President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He reported this on Telegram.
15.58 For the second week in a row, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTSVGD) has not published a rating for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who this year experienced the strongest decline since 2018. This is reported by The Moscow Times.
15:40 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left for the front and arrived in the Oleksandrivka direction - in southern Ukraine. He announced this on Telegram.
15.19 On Friday night, SBU drones struck the Lukoil-Permnaftoorgsintez oil refinery and the Perm oil pumping station in Russia for the third time. At the refinery, a fire broke out at one of the AVT units, which is a key unit for primary oil processing.
14.48 The aggressor country Russia is ready for a dialogue with Europe, but will not initiate it itself. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a comment to Russian propagandists. The Russian side was not the initiator of reducing relations with Europe to zero, he claims.
14.35 Azov returns to Mariupol, but for now through the reconnaissance and strike complex. The 1st Corps of the Azov NGU reported this on its Facebook page.
15.31 Seven new schemes for evading mobilization have been blocked in Ukraine and the organizers of the deals have been detained in various regions. For amounts ranging from 2.5 to 13 thousand euros, the dealers offered conscripts to avoid conscription through forged documents or facilitated their escape abroad outside checkpoints. The SBU reported this on May 8.
13.51 The visit of US President's representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv is expected at the turn of spring and summer. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on Telegram following the report of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov.
13.19 The Russians are increasing the supply of attack drones to the troops, and are also deploying additional units to counter Ukrainian UAVs. This was announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, on Telegram.
13.12 Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiga, on the anniversary of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, called on Ukrainian communities around the world not to participate in actions organized by Russia.
"On the 81st anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II, I remind Ukrainian communities around the world that modern Russian actions have nothing to do with celebrating the feat of the victors or honoring the memory of the victims," ​​he noted.
Sybiga added that the Russian regime has turned the memory of World War II into a bloody cult in the service of its modern aggressive policy and war against Ukraine.
"I warn all Ukrainian communities in all countries against participating in any actions organized by Russia. From laying flowers to marches of the so-called "immortal regiments" and "St. George ribbons", which have turned into a symbol of aggression. This is not about memory at all," the minister said.
12.59 An unmanned naval vehicle was discovered in the Ionian Sea south of the Greek island of Lefkada. It turned out to be a Ukrainian Magura V5 drone, reports the Greek publication Ekathimerini.
The discovery triggered an interagency operation involving Greek authorities and the Ministry of National Defense.
12.22 Since the beginning of the war, 165 people have been killed as a result of Russian drone attacks on railway infrastructure facilities. This was announced by the head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhivskyi, during a speech at the conference "United for Justice. Responsibility for Crimes Against the Civilian Population", Ukrinform reports.
"Since the beginning of the invasion, 920 people have been injured in such attacks, including 67 children, and 165 people have died, mostly civilians and railway workers," he noted.
According to Vyhovsky, during the martial law, 552 attacks on railway infrastructure facilities were recorded, half of which were this year. For this, the enemy used 1,500 UAVs, which damaged 158 railway facilities.
12.43 The ruling regime of the Russian Federation has restricted aviation flights in the southern regions due to a UAV strike on the control center in Rostov-on-Don. The sky over the South of Russia will be closed to civilian aircraft until 23:59 on May 11, according to a NOTAM message to pilots.
The restrictions will affect, in particular, transit flights that travel through the restricted zone to other countries.
12.24 Law enforcement officers "hot on the trail" detained two terrorists who blew up a serviceman's car in Dnipro on May 7. The SBU reported this. One of the terrorists was intercepted while trying to flee abroad, where he hoped to escape justice.
12.12 Ukrainian drones attacked the Khankaly district of the Chechen capital Grozny, where one of the largest Russian military bases is located. They also hit the square near the railway station next to the building of the Federal Security Service for Chechnya. This is evidenced by OSINT analysis of videos from the scene published on the Internet by ASTRA.
Explosions also rocked the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala. Monitoring Telegram channels indicate that the blow fell on the key nodal electrical substation, the 110 kV Nova substation.
More than 90,000 energy consumers are now without electricity.
11:42 In Zaporizhia, a serviceman fired a pistol at people near a store. A 17-year-old teenager and a 33-year-old man were injured, the National Police reported.
The incident occurred at a local store, where a drunken soldier behaved rudely and insolently, which angered other customers.
11.06 The Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv announced the verdict against Volodymyr Medinsky and Anatoly Torkunov - editors of the Russian textbook for grade 11 History. History of Russia. 1945 - the beginning of the XXI century, published in Russia in 2023. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office on Telegram.
10.54 Drones hit the building of the Aeronavigation of the South of Russia branch in Rostov-on-Don. As a result, the work of 13 airports in southern Russia was suspended. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Transport.
10.33 On Friday morning, six regions of Ukraine experienced power outages due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and bad weather. Ukrenergo reported this. Where security conditions currently allow, emergency restoration work has already begun.
9.31 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the Armed Forces have applied "long-range sanctions" on an oil facility in Yaroslavl, Russia. This is according to a message from the head of state on Facebook.
8.59 Russia attacked Ukraine with 67 attack drones on the night of May 8, despite its own declared "truce". Air defense forces managed to shoot down most of the enemy drones. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.
7.34 The Ukrainian Defense Forces killed and wounded 1,130 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on its Facebook page.
05.58 On the night of Friday, May 8, a series of explosions were recorded in Rostov, Russia, which caused a large-scale fire. According to monitoring resources, the city was likely hit by a missile attack. According to ASTRA's OSINT analysis, in Rostov-on-Don, after the attack, a fire broke out in the area of ​​the Empils paint and varnish plant and a branch of the Radar scientific and technical center.
04.01 Over the past 24 hours, Russian occupation forces have occupied certain areas in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. According to information provided to the OSINT project DeepState, the enemy is advancing in the areas of the settlements of Horikhove and Filiya.
02.29 On the night of Friday, May 8, a two-day truce began, declared by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in preparation for the parade on May 9. However, within hours of its start, drone attacks began on Russian territory, particularly on Moscow and Yaroslavl. According to OSINT communities, drones attacked a local oil refinery, causing a large-scale fire