Latest Developments in Ukraine: May 8

For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT:

3:02 a.m.: Al Jazeera reports that Germany plans a $66 million aid package to help restore the water supply and restore houses in Ukraine.

2:09 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K.’s defense ministry says “faltering Russian performance on the front line” has led to senior commanders heading to the battlefield. The update notes that “it is not clear that the presence of these commanders on the battlefield has led to a refined or altered operational concept. Flawed planning assumptions and failures in sustainment continue to undermine Russian progress.”

1:05 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says “nearly 200 cultural heritage sites already” had been destroyed or damaged since the Russian invasion began, The New York Times reports.

12:02 a.m.: Kyiv’s mayor says it’ll probably be safer for residents to return to the city after Monday, which is Russia’s Victory Day, The Washington Post reports.

Victory Day marks the Soviet Union’s 1945 victory over Nazi Germany, and there are fears that Russia may use the holiday as a reason to ramp up attacks on Ukraine.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says about 2.2 million of the city’s normal 3.5 million residents remain.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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