Victory Chronicles-DAY 1171

Russian forces have refrained from using Shahed drones for the second day in a row, but continue to strike Ukraine’s Sumy region with heavy aerial bombardment. According to Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched approximately 130 KAB guided bombs on May 8 alone. As of midday on May 9, an additional 56 KABs had already been dropped.

The attacks were carried out by Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers operating under the cover of Su-35 fighters. Ihnat noted that these strikes continued even during consecutive day.

“There were active KAB strikes on Sumy region right in the middle of Kremlin ruler Putin’s ‘Victory Day hysteria’,” Ihnat told Ukrainska Pravda.

Propaganda Victory Day Parade that Russia stages yearly to mark Victory in Europe Day during WWII, yet it collaborated with Nazi Germany in the first two years of the continent’s bloodiest war in 1939-1941. While Shahed kamikaze drones have not been detected in Ukrainian airspace since May 7, aerial drone attack threats remain high. 

UK allocates additional 29 million euros for humanitarian projects in Ukraine. The United Kingdom is providing an extra 25 million pounds (approximately  $33 million) to support humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine, the British government announced on May 9.

Of the total, 10 million pounds will go to the HAVEN program, which delivers assistance to civilians in frontline regions. Another 9.4 million pounds will support the Ukrainian unit of the  International Committee of the Red Cross, including funding for the improvement of rehabilitation centers, some of which serve wounded veterans.

This latest package adds to a broader trend of European humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Sweden recently pledged around 2 million euros ($2.25 million) to support women’s empowerment programs and an additional $137 million for reconstruction and development. In March, Finland also committed 16 million euros ($18 million) in humanitarian aid through the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Kostiantynivka: rescue crewmen complete rubble removal, find 1 civilian killed after Russian airstrike

Emergency crews have concluded search and rescue operations at a partially destroyed nine-story residential building in the Donetsk regional town of Kostiantynivka following a Russian airstrike on May 7. The operation lasted nearly two days. Rescuers recovered the body of a woman from beneath the rubble. In total, 402 tons of debris were cleared. The strike killed one civilian and injured 14 others.

In historic first, Ukrainian forces use drones to free captured troops. A groundbreaking drone-assisted operation by Ukraine’s special forces rescued three Ukrainian soldiers who were held captive by Russians after being exposed to an unidentified chemical agent. 

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) reported that the soldiers belonged to the Artan X unit, a sub-group of the DIU’s elite Artan special forces. The team had been conducting a sabotage and reconnaissance mission against positions held by Russia’s 247th Air Assault Regiment.

During the operation, the Ukrainian fighters clashed with a Russian unit in close combat. According to the DIU, the Russian troops deployed an unknown chemical substance that incapacitated the Ukrainian soldiers, leading to their capture.

The DIU later pinpointed the location of the prisoners and conducted a rescue operation using drones. Footage of the mission was released by Ukrainian intelligence services on May 8.

Key Takeaways:

• The Kremlin continues to seize on the Russian mythos of World War II ahead of Russia’s May 9 Victory Day holiday to set informational conditions to justify a prolonged war in Ukraine and future aggression against NATO to Russian society.
• Belousov explicitly identified large-scale Russian military reforms as preparations for a future conflict with NATO as Russian Security Council Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev threatened European countries that support Ukraine.
• Russia claimed to have implemented its unilateral Victory Day ceasefire on May 8 and accused Ukraine of ceasefire violations even though Ukraine did not officially and publicly agree to Russia’s ceasefire. Russia’s unilateral Victory Day ceasefire and accusations of violations continue to demonstrate the necessity that any ceasefire or peace agreement be formally agreed to in advance by all parties and include robust monitoring mechanisms.
• Ukrainian officials continue to highlight Ukraine’s willingness to implement U.S .President Donald Trump’s desired 30-day ceasefire to precede peace talks.
• The Kremlin is attempting to exploit its unilateral Victory Day ceasefire to blame Ukraine for the lack of progress toward a longer-term ceasefire and peace negotiations despite Russia’s continued rejection of such a longer-term ceasefire.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping conducted a series of bilateral engagements in Moscow on May 8, showcasing deeper Russian–Chinese cooperation and alignment.
• The joint Russian–Chinese statement on May 8 referenced Putin’s original aims in launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to lend international support and legitimacy to Russia’s goals and attempted justifications for the war.
• The joint Russian–Chinese statement supported Putin’s proposed Eurasian security architecture and Russia’s ongoing efforts to create a Russia-dominated alternative, anti-Western bloc.
• The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine’s (UN HRMMU) reported that Ukrainian civilian casualties have significantly increased between 2024 and 2025.
• The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada ratified the U.S.-Ukrainian bilateral economic partnership agreement on May 8.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Toretsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk and Sumy oblasts and near Kupyansk, Borova, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.

In memoriam: Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Kharitonov, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces. Oleksandr Kharitonov, known by the call sign “Horniak,” was killed in action on Sept. 11, 2024, during a combat mission near the city of Toretsk in Donetsk region. He was 28.

Kharitonov was born in the city of Zolote, Luhansk region. In 2023, he graduated from Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs and lived in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region. For several years, he worked as a site supervisor in the cable and telecommunications division of the Karbonit Mine, part of the state-owned coal company Pervomaiskvuhillia.

In April 2023, he joined Ukraine’s defense forces and served in the “Liut” Joint Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine. For his service, Kharitonov received the “War Veteran – Combatant” badge and the Commander-in-Chief’s honorary insignia, the “Golden Cross.”

“Sasha was joyful and kind. He was always ready to lend a hand — polite, smart, warm-hearted,” said his niece, Oksana. “He was like the sun — bright and warm, just like his favorite color, yellow. He loved his children, Maksym and Dominika, and was close to the family who raised him — his sister and her husband. He loved Ukraine. Becoming a police officer was his childhood dream, and he achieved it — and then he went to war as a volunteer. He died a hero. He always said we would win, peace would come, and we’d return home to our native Donbas.” Kharitonov was buried in the city of Kamianske. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, sister and nieces and nephews.

*Oleksandr’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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