Russia-Ukraine War: Key Events, Day 1,169
As of Thursday, May 8, here are the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war on day 1,169:
Fighting
A three-day ceasefire was declared by Russia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, coming into effect at midnight, Moscow time (21:00 GMT on Wednesday). Ukraine, however, has not committed to this ceasefire and instead proposed a 30-day cessation of fighting.
Despite the ceasefire, Russian aircraft launched guided bombs on the Sumy region of northern Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday. The Ukrainian Air Force reported the attack on Telegram, but no immediate casualties or damage have been reported.
Apart from this, there were no other reports of attacks on Ukrainian cities early on Thursday.
Additionally, Russian forces shot down 12 Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow. The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed this on Wednesday, while Russia’s aviation watchdog temporarily closed Zhukovsky airport in the Moscow region and the main airport in Kaluga due to the incident.
Politics and Diplomacy
On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, responded to claims that President Vladimir Putin may be obstructing a comprehensive peace deal. Zakharova said that Russia had never opposed a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed his stance on Wednesday during his nightly address, stating that Ukraine’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire remains on the table. Zelenskyy emphasized that this offer could provide an opportunity for diplomacy to make progress. “We are not withdrawing this proposal,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance remarked at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is “asking for too much” in its initial peace deal offer.
Economy
In an interview with Reuters, Ukraine’s Central Bank Governor, Andriy Pyshnyy, discussed the potential shift away from the US dollar. He indicated that Ukraine might consider the euro as a reference currency for the hryvnia. This shift is being considered due to factors such as Ukraine’s potential accession to the European Union and the probability of global trade fragmentation, as Pyshnyy explained.
