Ukrainian forces faced 117 combat clashes across the front line on the first day of Russia’s self-declared Victory Day “humanitarian ceasefire,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on May 8.

Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day. The General Staff said that most battles occurred in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian troops launched 41 assaults on the Pokrovsk front alone.

Pokrovsk, located about 70 kilometers northwest of occupied Donetsk, remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front, where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March.

Clashes also took place near Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk, and Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, while Russian troops continued attacks around Siversk, Torske, and in Kharkiv Oblast. Border settlements in Sumy Oblast suffered from shelling and guided bomb strikes.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian regional authorities reported at least seven civilian deaths and 31 injuries over the past 24 hours across Ukraine. Some of the attacks took place after the start of Moscow’s unilaterally declared truce. Russian strikes targeted homes, vehicles, and public spaces in Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

The Victory Day truce is the latest in a series of ceasefire initiatives announced by Moscow, all of which Russia has violated.

Earlier this month, Russia declared a ceasefire over the Easter holiday, though President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of nearly 3,000 violations between April 19 and April 21. Ukraine has also said that Russian forces repeatedly breached a partial truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the U.S. on March 25.

Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands. Kyiv has dismissed these declarations as a propaganda stunt, noting that Russian forces have only intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.

Will Trump help Putin escape punishment for his crimes in Ukraine?

Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. took the unprecedented step of deepening cooperation with international courts of law. Washington has never been party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), and U.S. policy towards the Hague-based international tribunal has varied widely

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

Did a video show an Indian drone falling to the ground and causing an explosion, after being shot down by Pakistani forces in May 2025? No, that's not true: The video had been online since April 29, one week before India struck locations in Pakistan in response to a terrorist attack by Pakistani militants, and Pakistan, in response, shot down Indian fighter jets. An earlier version of the clip suggests it was recorded in Ukraine.

The claim appeared in a May 8, 2025, post on X (archived here), which consisted of a video of an object falling from the sky, hitting the ground, and causing an explosion, along with the following text caption:

🚨Exclusive footage of an Indian drone, shot down by Pakistani forces.

The post can be viewed below:

🚨Exclusive footage of an Indian drone, shot down by Pakistani forces. pic.twitter.com/VMZ8UYYHzy

-- Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) May 8, 2025

In reality, the clip was not recorded in the context of Indian-Pakistani clashes on May 7 or May 8, 2025. The earliest version we could find was posted to Telegram on April 29, 2025, along with the following caption (translated from Russian using Google Translate):

An epic dive by a Geranium on a target somewhere in Ukraine during a recent raid.

We are confirming the location.

The word "Geranium" is a Russian nickname ("Герань") for Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones used by Russian forces since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Thus, the video is likely to show a drone engaged in a deliberate attack, rather than a drone falling to the ground after being shot out of the sky.

The earlier footage was also longer, and before and after the moment of impact, featured at least two voices speaking Russian. Readers unable to access the video on Telegram can view a cropped re-posting of it on YouTube below:

Ukraine and the United States played a long game of cat and mouse, each trying to secure more favorable terms in the minerals deal.

Months of delays, disagreements, manipulations, and even a temporary suspension of aid led to a ratification of the deal by the Ukrainian legislature today.

338 out of 347 Ukrainian MPs voted in favor.

Now, only its implementation remains.

“This quick turn of events [ratification] means that we are, roughly speaking, serious and responsible. Ukraine does not renounce its commitments and demonstrates confidence and consistency in its actions,” Ivan Valiushko, an expert at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, explained in an interview to The Counteroffensive.

Despite lengthy negotiations and some public disagreements, Ukraine and the United States finally signed an agreement establishing a United States-Ukraine reconstruction investment fund on April 30.

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According to a gift certificate obtained by MilitaryLand, Colonel Pavlo Protsiuk has been appointed as the commander of the 12th Army Corps. Prior to this appointment, Protsiuk served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operational Command West. Just to remind you, the formation of the 12th Army Corps was first announced in March 2025,…

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On May 6, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with soldiers to mark the Day of the Infantry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As part of the ceremony, he presented state awards and battle flags—an annual tradition honoring this significant day for the Defense Forces. What made this year’s event particularly notable was the…

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Russian military forces in Syria find themselves becoming victims of sabotage. As a result, Russia has reached out to Syria with an urgent appeal for immediate measures to put an end to this crisis, reports Defense Express citing unnamed sources. Despite the fall of President Bashar Assad and the subsequent change in leadership, Russia maintains a strong military presence at the Khmeimim Airbase and shows no intention of withdrawing. However, the situation remains unstable, as unknown perpetrators consistently target them, damaging military assets and causing fatalities among Russian soldiers.

According to Defense Express, Russia's request for immediate action is directed at Syria's new leadership, specifically Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, to counteract sabotage attacks reportedly carried out by Ukrainian special services on Khmeimim Airbase. These appeals came in late April following a series of attacks on the base.

Ukrainian operations have successfully targeted critical radio communication nodes and power substations, and on April 28, a Russian IL-76 transport aircraft was fired upon by small arms, resulting in the confirmed deaths of two Russian service members whose documents later surfaced online. In a bid to protect its assets in Syria, Russia has pledged $5 million in humanitarian food assistance to Damascus through the UN World Food Program.

Earlier reports indicated tensions when Syrian forces hindered Russian attempts to transport missile containers for S-300 and S-400 systems out of the country via the port of Tartus, turning back the convoy.

Additionally, it's reported that Syria's new leader has demanded that Moscow extradite former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fled to Russia following the rebels' victory.

Did a video authentically show President Donald Trump saying, of clashes between India and Pakistan in May 2025, "let 'em fight"? No, that's not true: The clip was authentic, but was recorded in 2019. Trump was speaking then in the context of conflict between ISIS and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The claim appeared in a May 6, 2025, post on X (archived here), which consisted of a text caption that read "...sir, what do you REALLY think about India and Pakistan?" and a video that showed Trump saying:

...they're fighting each other. I said "Why don't you let them fight? Why are we getting in the middle of it?" I said "Let 'em fight!"...

The clip can be viewed in full here:

"...sir, what do you REALLY think about India and Pakistan?" pic.twitter.com/um9xI7UWXR

-- il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) May 6, 2025

In reality, that clip was recorded on January 2, 2019, and Trump was speaking about a completely different conflict - that between ISIS and the Taliban in Afghanistan:

Ukrainian forces are actively engaging in battles around the Tetkino railway station in the Kursk region, with the conflict intensifying daily. Recent reports from pro-Russian sources claim that Russian troops fended off Ukrainian attacks near Noviy Put and Volfino.

However, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, while examining the unfolding events in Kursk, observed escalating clashes.

Russian military bloggers are currently reporting combat activity near the Tetkino railway station. Some Russian channels further claim that Ukrainian forces have gained control over two streets in the southwestern part of Tetkino. However, ISW analysts have been unable to independently verify these claims.

The involved factions reportedly include elements of the Russian 83rd Air Assault Brigade and the 217th and 56th Air Assault Regiments, according to pro-Russian Z-channels. Ukrainian forces are noted for carrying out artillery and air strikes while employing drones to isolate the defenders of Tetkino.

Geolocated footage dated May 6 showed Ukrainian forces deploying JDAM munitions on Russian positions near Tetkino railway station.

Russian reporters insist that Ukrainian forces are using drones and artillery to disrupt Russian ground lines of communication, aiming to isolate units near Tetkino. Z-channels also report that Ukrainian forces, utilizing drones, have complete control over a section of highway 38K-040 Tetkino-Karyzha.

Ukrainian drones attacked several key Russian military sites overnight on May 7, including critical defense industry plants in Saransk and Tula, as well as the airbase in Kubinka near Moscow, home to MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets, reported Andriy Kovalenko, chief of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation.

“In Russia, important military-industrial enterprises were attacked, while Moscow once again targeted civilian infrastructure in our cities, killing people,” Kovalenko stated.

The threat of UAVs in Saransk was declared by the Head of the Republic of Mordovia, Artem Zdunov, at 5:27 AM.

Videos of a fire in the city were published by Russian Telegram channel Astra, noting that flames erupted near the Khimmash plant.

Readers subsequently reported that the drone strike on Saransk, the capital of Mordovia, caused two fires, notably impacting the Optic Fiber Systems plant, situated a few kilometers from the Saransk Mechanical Plant and Saranskkabel-Optik. Optic Fiber Systems is the first and only producer of optical fiber in Russia, according to Astra Telegram channel.

Exilenova+ Telegram channel mentioned that the Saranskkabel and Optic Fiber Systems plants, which were attacked, have been producing cable and fiber-optic products for Russian arms for over 20 years.

At 7 AM, the Saransk city administration announced that classes were canceled in preschools, schools, and higher education institutions on May 7.

Astra Telegram also reported fires in the vicinity of two major Russian defense industry enterprises, part of the state corporation "Rostec," following a drone strike in Tula

"In Tula, the attack targeted AO 'Instrument Design Bureau,' a flagship of the Russian defense industry specializing in developing modern weapon systems, including anti-tank complexes, firearms, and combat modules. Its products see active use in the war in Ukraine,” highlighted CPCD chief Andriy Kovalenko.

He further stated that "SPLAV," known for developing the "Grad," "Uragan," and "Smerch" multiple rocket launch systems, also came under attack. SPLAV is a priority manufacturing site for the Russian army.

The "Crimean Wind" Telegram channel, citing satellite data, reported a fire at the Kubinka airbase, located 63 km from Moscow, and shared footage captured by locals showing the drone attack.

Exilenova+ Telegram channel also published footage of the UAV attack on Kubinka, along with satellite images of the airfield, noting that MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters are based there.

On the evening of May 6, drones attacked Moscow; Moscow region residents also reported explosions. During the attack, mobile internet service was disrupted in Tula, Yaroslavl, Tver, Saransk, and Kursk.

Russia's Aeroflot stated that between 1:00 AM and 5:30 AM on May 7, due to temporary flight restrictions at Sheremetyevo Airport, some flights were diverted or delayed. Russian media outlet Astra reported a "collapse" at Moscow airports in light of the UAV attacks, quoting eyewitnesses.

A Russian pro-military blogger on the Telegram channel "Voievoda Speaks" claimed that on the night of May 7, one of the most massive drone attacks involved 447 long-range pilotless aircraft and missiles launched into Russia.

Media outlets on May 6 speculated that Ukrainian Defense Forces might attack Russia on Victory Day, May 9, but not Moscow, as the Russian capital will have heightened air defense.

Russia’s annual Victory Day parade is taking place in Moscow on May 9, in a week dramatically marked by a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on the city, and a dubious unilateral ceasefire announced by the Kremlin.

Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year.

The annual event is a key part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda efforts to justify aggression against what the Kremlin falsely describes as “Nazis” in Ukraine.

The parade takes place after Ukraine reportedly attacked Moscow with drones for three days in a row from May 4-6, repeatedly forcing the closure of several airports in the region.

In an effort to provide some semblance of security to the event, Russia last month unilaterally announced a “humanitarian” truce from May 8 until midnight on May 11.

Under no obligation to sign up for a ceasefire it wasn’t consulted on, Ukraine has not agreed to adhere to it, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing it as a “theatrical performance."

Zelensky said Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of foreign officials planning to attend Moscow on May 9, warning that any incidents on Russian territory fall solely under the Kremlin’s control.

Who’s attending Moscow’s parade?

At least 29 world leaders were expected to attend the event, Russian state-controlled media reported on May 6.

“We have invited many foreign guests. And we expect 29 leaders of the countries we have invited to be present at the Victory Parade,” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

Last year, only nine foreign leaders joined Russian President Vladimir Putin at the parade. Ukraine and most European nations mark May 8 as Victory in Europe Day.

The most high-profile guest in attendance this year will be Chinese President Xi Jinping who arrived in Moscow on May 8 to “sign a number of bilateral inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents” to strengthen Chinese-Russian relations, according to the Kremlin.

It is Xi’s second trip to Russia, after he met with Putin in Moscow in 2023 during his first foreign visit since his re-election.

China, which portrays itself as a neutral party in the war, has become the Kremlin’s largest supplier of dual-use goods essential for weapons manufacturing.

Tensions between Ukraine and China have risen in recent weeks after Zelensky on April 9 said that 155 Chinese citizens were fighting for Russia on the territory of Ukraine.

A day prior, Kyiv captured the first two Chinese nationals in Donetsk Oblast. China has denied any role in Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Xi was originally scheduled to fly to Russia on May 7 — it’s now known if Ukraine’s drone strikes delayed his arrival.

President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is also in Moscow in show of support to Putin.

According to Brazilian media, Lula will hold a bilateral meeting with Putin during which he hopes to position himself as a mediator in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

In 2024, Lula jointly developed a Ukraine peace plan with China that was dismissed as “destructive” by Kyiv.

European officials absent on Red Square

Europe is sparsely represented at the parade — Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico represents the only EU member state, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is also attending.

All other EU leaders are boycotting the parade once again. The U.S. also doesn’t plan to send representatives, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s sharp turn of American foreign policy towards renewing diplomatic contacts with Russia that were severed after its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to Russian state media, the other world leaders in attendance are those from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Representatives from North Korea and Russian-controlled Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as defense ministers from 31 countries, will also be present.

A number of countries are also contributing troops to the parade. Military personnel from 13 countries — Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam — are expected to march through Moscow.

Other security measures

As well as the unilateral truce, Russia on May 7 confirmed that mobile internet restrictions will be enforced in Moscow and several Russian regions while foreign officials visit the country.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the measures, which may last through May 10, are necessary due to “dangerous neighbors."

‘The front is noisy’ — for Ukraine’s soldiers, Russia’s Victory Day ‘ceasefire’ is yet another sham

Moscow’s self-declared truce which came into force at midnight on May 8 is not being felt on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent, reporting numerous cases of Russian military activity throughout the day. “There is no truce. There is shelling, artillery, drone and FPV (bomb) drops,” Petro Kuzyk, a battalion commander at the National Guard, said. The Kremlin announced the measure on April 28, claiming all military actions would halt on May 8 to midnight on May 11 t

The Kyiv IndependentChris York,