Here is where things stand on Thursday, May 8:
Fighting
- A three-day ceasefire declared by Russia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany came into effect at midnight, Moscow time (21:00 GMT, Wednesday). Ukraine has not committed to abide by the ceasefire, proposing a 30-day cessation in fighting instead.
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Russian aircraft launched guided bombs on the Sumy region of northern Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning despite the ceasefire, Ukraine’s air force said in a post on Telegram. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
- Apart from the Ukrainian air force’s statement about Russia launching guided bombs, there were no other reports of attacks on Ukrainian cities early on Thursday.
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Russian forces shot down 12 Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow, the capital’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Wednesday. Russia’s aviation watchdog said two airports – the Zhukovsky airport in the Moscow region and the main airport in Kaluga – were temporarily closed.
Politics and diplomacy
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Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had never opposed a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian state-run news agencies reported on Wednesday, after United States envoy Keith Kellogg said Russian President Vladimir Putin may be obstructing a comprehensive peace deal.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Wednesday that he stood by an offer to observe a 30-day ceasefire. “We are not withdrawing this proposal, which could give diplomacy a chance,” Zelenskyy said.
- US Vice President JD Vance said during an appearance at the Munich Security Conference that Russia was “asking for too much” in its initial offer of a peace deal.
Economy
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In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Ukraine’s Central Bank governor, Andriy Pyshnyy, said Kyiv is considering a shift away from the US dollar. Potential accession to the European Union and “the probability of global-trade fragmentation”, among other reasons, are forcing the central bank to review whether the euro should be the reference currency for Ukraine’s hryvnia, Pyshnyy was quoted as saying.
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