Here is the latest update on Thursday, May 8:
Conflict
- A ceasefire declared by Russia to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany came into effect on Thursday at midnight Moscow time (21:00 GMT), but Ukraine has suggested a 30-day truce instead of adhering to this ceasefire.
- Russian aircraft struck the Sumy region in northern Ukraine with guided bombs earlier on Thursday, despite the announced ceasefire, according to Ukraine’s air force, without reporting any casualties or damages.
- No other attacks on Ukrainian cities were reported early Thursday, apart from the Ukrainian air force’s account of Russian missile launches.
- Russian forces said they shot down 12 Ukrainian drones near Moscow on Wednesday as the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed. This led to temporary closures at the Zhukovsky airport in the Moscow region and the main airport in Kaluga.
Politics and Diplomacy
- Moscow’s Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia had never opposed a ceasefire in Ukraine; this came after US envoy Keith Kellogg suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be hindering a widespread peace agreement.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed in his Wednesday night address that Ukraine is open to a 30-day ceasefire. He emphasized that this proposal remains on the table to allow for diplomatic efforts.
- JD Vance, the US Vice President, stated at the Munich Security Conference that Russia’s initial peace proposal demands too many concessions.
Economic Considerations
- Ukraine’s Central Bank governor, Andriy Pyshnyy, discussed the possibility of moving away from the US dollar in an interview with Reuters. Factors such as potential European Union accession and the likelihood of global trade fragmentation are prompting a review on making the euro the reference currency for Ukraine’s hryvnia, according to Pyshnyy.
