New Pope elected, Ukraine ratifies minerals deal, double killing near Kyiv: May 8 highlights

A new Pope has been elected

Catholic cardinals elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope, the first American to hold the position in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history. He chose the name Leo XIV. Previously, he served in Peru and led the Vatican’s episcopal office.

White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, signaling a successful election after the new pontiff secured the required votes. The selection occurred on the second day of the secret conclave, following several failed attempts marked by black smoke over the Vatican.

In Sofiyivska Borshchahivka, a man shot a soldier and his mother-in-law

In Sofiyivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv Oblast, a 63-year-old man shot and killed a Ukrainian soldier and his mother-in-law. The soldier had sold the man a firearm for $1,000 a month earlier, and a dispute over payment sparked the conflict.

The shooter used the purchased weapon to kill the two. The soldier’s wife, present at the scene, survived unharmed.

Prosecutor General’s Office urged to punish Viktoria Roshchyna’s alleged killers

The Office of the Prosecutor General received a request to hold accountable individuals identified by journalists in an investigation into the killing of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna while in Russian captivity.

Verkhovna Rada ratified the mineral resources agreement between the US and Ukraine

Ukraine’s parliament ratified the minerals agreement with the United States, signed on April 30, with 338 lawmakers voting in favor. The deal establishes a U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to attract global investments in 57 types of minerals, oil, and gas, with profits reinvested solely in Ukraine.

During the vote, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko assured parliament that the agreement serves Ukraine’s interests, retains national control over resources, and includes no debt obligations. Some lawmakers shouted “Shame!” during her speech, reflecting dissent over the deal’s terms.

Ukraine may strengthen the peg of its currency to the euro

National Bank of Ukraine Governor Andriy Pyshnyy said the country might shift from the U.S. dollar and tie its currency more closely to the euro amid “geopolitical realignments.”

Russians were kicked out of the "Berlin" in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukrainian forces completed an operation to liberate a forest near Lyptsi in Kharkiv Oblast, which Russians called “Berlin.” The five-and-a-half-month battle, starting in November 2024, freed over 2 million square meters (200 hectares).

Pavlo Petrychenko received the title of Hero of Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine title with the Order of the Golden Star to Junior Sergeant Pavlo Petrychenko of the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade (now an unmanned systems assault brigade), who died in April 2024.

The Russian Federation announced the beginning of a "truce", but continued to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russia announced a “ceasefire” for Victory Day, supposedly effective from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported ongoing Russian assaults, with 117 combat clashes by 4 p.m. Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Troop Grouping, said Ukrainian forces respond “proportionally” to Russian threats within defensive operations, countering any risks to their lives and safety.

Other news

• The European Union transferred 1 billion euros to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets.
• SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk and the commander of Magyar’s Birds became Heroes of Ukraine.
• Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Putin’s “parade ceasefire” a farce.
• In Rivne, a teacher grabbed a student who stabbed him with a compass; no formal complaint was filed.