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Ukraine and Sweden are preparing for the delivery of Saab JAS 39 Gripen jets, with Stockholm transferring specialized equipment for servicing military airfields, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced.
The equipment will enable fast and high-quality runway maintenance, keep airfields operational 24/7 in all weather conditions, ensure pilot safety during takeoffs and landings, and support continuous combat aviation operations.
Russia held a Victory Day parade. It was the shortest in recent years, lasting only 45 minutes. North Korean troops marched alongside Russian forces.
The EU has prepared a list of demands for Russia in the event of potential negotiations with Putin.
“We see that the ongoing peace talks, with the participation of the US, are not leading anywhere. And we see that all demands are directed at the Ukrainian side, while none are addressed to Russia.
So before we talk to the Russians, we need to agree on what exactly we want to discuss with them.
That is why a few months ago I proposed to foreign ministers a list of steps we expect from the Russian side, especially given requests addressed to Europe, such as the lifting of sanctions.
We will discuss this with foreign ministers at the end of May.
I believe that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria should also be among the EU’s demands,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas at a joint press conference with Maia Sandu in Chișinău.
“If after May 9, Joseph Stalin had told us, ‘You are free, you can continue to live in freedom and independence,’ we would also have celebrated this day as Victory Day. But since it was from this day that repression began for my country, we cannot celebrate May 9 as Victory Day,” said the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, during an official visit to Chișinău on the eve of Europe Day.
Ukraine’s 1st Corps of the National Guard “Azov” says it has expanded its deep-strike drone operations against Russian military logistics, targeting supply routes leading toward occupied Mariupol with AI-assisted suicide drones, according to a press release shared with UNITED24 Media. (https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/azov-returns-to-mariupol-as-ai-drones-strike-russian-supply-routes-160-km-behind-front-18606)
Poland will receive almost €44 billion from the EU for military modernization, according to Le Monde.
Poland was the first EU member state to sign a loan agreement under the SAFE programme, created to strengthen European defence in response to the Russian threat and a possible reduction in US support.
Warsaw will receive €43.7 billion for military modernization, development of its defence industry, and the purchase of weapons and critical infrastructure.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a “turning point” for Poland and the entire European Union. He said Europe is finally learning from history and taking greater responsibility for its own security.
Poland already spends more on defence than any other NATO member relative to its economy — around 4.8% of GDP.
FULL TEXT TRANSLATION OF THE DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE No. 374/2026
On holding a parade in Moscow
Taking into account numerous requests and for humanitarian purposes outlined in negotiations with the American side on May 8, 2026, I decree:
To allow a parade to be held in Moscow (Russian Federation) on May 9, 2026.
For the duration of the parade (from 10:00 a.m. Kyiv time on May 9, 2026), the area of Red Square shall be excluded from the plan for the use of Ukrainian weapons.
Red Square coordinates:
55.754413 37.617733
55.755205 37.619181
55.753351 37.622854
55.752504 37.621538
This decree shall enter into force on the date of its signing.
President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy
May 8, 2026
Russian forces are attacking forests in the Chernihiv region using FPV drones with incendiary mixtures. The fire near the border has already spread across more than 4,000 hectares, and ongoing drone activity is preventing firefighting efforts, said the head of the regional administration, Vyacheslav Chaus.
“The scale of the fire is very significant. At the moment, the fire is moving toward the Russian Federation, and there are active fire zones there — even the weather is currently in our favor. But we must be prepared for a possible change in wind direction.
Our top priority is people’s safety. The fire has already reached houses near the border, though there were no residents present. We must prevent it from spreading to populated areas.
There is also a contingency plan for evacuation. At present, residents are reluctant to leave, but if the threat increases, we must be ready to evacuate them in time.
Forestry workers are creating additional mineralized strips. All necessary equipment is in use, and rescuers are ready to assist.
We are recording enemy strikes even while forestry equipment is operating. The risk remains very high, and I am grateful to those doing everything possible to contain the fire,” he said.
New footage shows the PZL M28 (An-28) transport aircraft converted to engage enemy kamikaze UAVs, according to a report by The Times.
The aircraft’s pylons are equipped with launchers for P1-SUN/STING-type UAV interceptors. The fuselage is marked with 213 kill markings, each indicating a downed drone.
Under the nose, the aircraft carries a TrakkaCam TC-300-UC/S electro-optical system from Trakka Systems, used by the onboard operator to detect, track, and engage targets.
“Security Guarantees.” Ukrainian Pavilion Opens at the Venice Biennale
This year, Ukraine is presenting the project “Security Guarantees” by artist Zhanna Kadyrova.
The central symbol of the pavilion is the sculpture “Origami Deer,” which was evacuated from Pokrovsk in 2024.
Previously, the sculpture stood at the site of a dismantled Soviet Su-7 aircraft, a carrier of nuclear weapons. It became a symbol of unfulfilled security guarantees under which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in 1996.
In Venice, the “Origami Deer” is suspended from a truck crane, symbolizing the uncertainty faced by millions of Ukrainians who have lost their homes and sense of security.
The pavilion also features a documentary about the evacuation of the sculpture and the stories of people forced to leave the city because of the war.
The leading technical university in Russia, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, trains hackers, disinformation specialists, and cyber operatives for the GRU military intelligence service, according to investigations by The Guardian, The Insider, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, Delfi, and VSquare.
A group of investigative journalists obtained access to more than 2,000 documents from Department No. 4 of the university’s Military Training Center, covering the 2022–2024 academic years. These include curricula, exam records, campaign materials, presentations, photos from classes, employment contracts, and data on graduates’ careers. The documents trace a direct path from training in hacking and disinformation to assignments in well-known GRU cyber units, including Fancy Bear and Sandworm.
Bauman University has long been known for its military ties, including training specialists involved in weapons development. However, its role in preparing cyber operatives has remained largely hidden, the investigations note.
Department No. 4, titled “Special Training,” is not listed on the university’s official website — its numbering skips from No. 3 to No. 5. According to the findings, the department was deliberately concealed and is directly overseen by the GRU, which influences curricula, sets evaluation criteria, selects candidates, and funds the program.
The department offers training in three military specialties. One of them, “Special Intelligence Service,” focuses on information warfare, digital intelligence, and advanced IT skills. For example, the course “Countering Technical Intelligence” covers methods of cyber intrusion, including phishing, malware disguised as legitimate software, and exploitation of known vulnerabilities in foreign IT systems.
Students carry out laboratory work such as “virus penetration testing,” and one module is entirely dedicated to computer viruses. As part of their coursework, they are required to develop their own malware.
The program also includes propaganda training. A mandatory seminar for senior students, titled “Development of an Agitation and Propaganda Campaign,” requires students to create social media videos using manipulation techniques, pressure, and hidden messaging to promote or counter specific narratives. Another lecture focuses on “Propaganda, Agitation, Manipulation, and Persuasion.”
The course on espionage technologies is taught by Lieutenant Colonel Kirill Stupakov, deputy head of the department, who has been affiliated with the program since at least 2022 and is linked to military unit 45807 of the GRU.
Documents also reference Major General Viktor Netyksho, associated with military unit 26165 and the hacking group APT28 (Fancy Bear). This group has been linked to cyberattacks on the US Democratic National Committee, the campaign of Emmanuel Macron, and the German Bundestag. In 2018, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted Netyksho and 11 other GRU officers on charges related to interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
According to the investigation, the group also conducted online intelligence operations in 2022 during the siege of Mariupol.
Journalists report that at least 15 graduates from the 2024 class alone, out of 69 students, were assigned to various GRU units.