Merz becomes German chancellor, Ukraine returns 205 POWs: May 6 highlights

Friedrich Merz is the new chancellor of Germany

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was elected chancellor on May 6. The vote required a second round after Merz received only 310 votes in the first, falling six short of the 316 needed for a majority, despite his CDU/CSU-SPD coalition holding 328 seats.

This marked the first time in German history that a chancellor-designate failed to secure confirmation in the first round after winning federal elections and forming a coalition. Merz won 325 votes in the second round.

Prisoner swap

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war, with each side releasing 205 soldiers. The swap, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, saw Ukrainian troops from the Navy, Air Force, Airborne Assault Troops, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service return home.

The freed Ukrainians fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv fronts, including members of the Mariupol garrison.

‘Sixtier’ writer Valeriy Shevchuk dies

Valeriy Shevchuk, a prominent Ukrainian “Sixtier” writer and Shevchenko National Prize laureate, died on May 6 at age 85.

His daughter, Yuliana Shevchuk, said he was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Kyiv’s Feofaniya Hospital in his final days. Funeral details will be announced later.

Zhytomyr Oblast military recruitment center explained the video of the meeting with advice on mobilization

A leaked video from a Zhytomyr Oblast Military Recruitment Center meeting showed an official advising staff on mobilization tactics, urging them to meet at least 60% of the quota and avoid the “laxness” of April.

Suggestions included targeting gun owners, students facing expulsion, and buying cars from eligible men via AUTO.RIA.

The center confirmed the video’s authenticity but attributed its leak to a cyberattack aimed at manipulating public opinion.

Other news

• Oschadbank responded to a Lviv branch controversy over prioritizing a veteran’s service.
• A 18 million hryvnia ($434,783) bail was posted for former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Smyrnov.
• A parliamentary committee backed ratifying the minerals deal with proposed amendments.
• A Polish presidential candidate who tore down a Ukrainian flag also desecrated an EU flag, saying, “There’s no such country.”
• Reuters reported that the suspension of U.S. aid to Ukraine was an oral order by Pete Hegseth, unbeknownst to Trump.