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In brief
- Ukrainian officials say Russia launched a drone attack just hours after a truce it announced was supposed to begin.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry said Ukraine had failed to honour its own ceasefire declaration.
Efforts by Russia and Ukraine to establish a temporary ceasefire have crumbled as both nations accuse each other of breaches. Overnight and into Wednesday, drones and missiles were reported to have hit various targets.
A ceasefire, initiated unilaterally by Ukraine, was slated to begin at midnight. However, Ukrainian officials allege that Russia launched numerous drones, highlighting the fragile nature of these truces amid the ongoing conflict, now entering its fifth year since Russia’s aggressive incursion.
In northeastern Ukraine, Sumy officials reported that two Russian drones attacked a kindergarten in the city center on Wednesday, resulting in the death of a security guard and injuries to two individuals.
Conversely, Russia’s Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of failing to adhere to its ceasefire promise. The ministry claimed that its air defense systems intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones, which targeted Russian areas, the annexed Crimea, and regions near the Black Sea.
In Crimea, the region’s Russian-installed governor, Sergei Aksyonov, announced that a Ukrainian drone attack on Dzhankoi resulted in five fatalities. Aksyonov shared details of the incident shortly after midnight, despite having mentioned the assault over an hour earlier.
There had been little indication beforehand that Russia intended to follow Ukraine’s ceasefire initiative.
United States-led diplomatic efforts over the past year have failed to secure a broader halt to the fighting, and the latest exchange reinforced expectations that both sides remain far apart on conditions for any truce.
Deadly attacks precede truce declaration
The renewed attacks came after a deadly escalation earlier this week, with Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko saying Russian drone and missile strikes on Tuesday killed 27 civilians and wounded 120 others across Ukraine.
On Tuesday, powerful Russian glide bombs reportedly hit the eastern city of Kramatorsk, the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and the northern city of Chernihiv, killing at least 17 civilians and wounding dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials. Overnight strikes before that killed five more people and injured 39.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned what he called Russia’s “utter cynicism” in launching attacks while simultaneously preparing to declare its own temporary ceasefire tied to Victory Day commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
“Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”
Victory Day on 9 May is one of Russia’s most important national holidays and a centrepiece of President Vladimir Putin’s political messaging.
Russia’s Defence Ministry announced a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, but warned it would retaliate if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the celebrations.
The ministry threatened a “massive missile strike on the centre of Kyiv” if Ukrainian forces targeted Victory Day events, and warned civilians and foreign diplomatic staff to leave the capital if necessary.
Zelenskyy responded by saying Ukraine would begin observing a ceasefire earlier, starting at midnight Wednesday, and would respond according to Russia’s actions from that point onward. He did not specify an end date.
The back-and-forth followed a familiar pattern seen during previous attempted pauses in fighting, including around Orthodox Easter, when both sides accused each other of continued attacks and the fighting largely continued unabated.
Security fears for Victory Day in Russia
Security concerns have already reshaped this year’s Victory Day events in Russia, with officials scaling back military parades in Moscow and other cities because of fears of Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.
For the first time in nearly two decades, Moscow’s Red Square parade is expected to proceed without tanks, missiles and other heavy military equipment.
Speaking earlier this week at a summit with European leaders in Armenia, Zelenskyy said Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square” during the May 9 celebrations.
“This is telling,” he said. “It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them.”
Russian authorities have also imposed cellphone internet restrictions in Moscow and St Petersburg ahead of the holiday, according to Russian media reports, in an effort to guard against potential Ukrainian drone attacks.
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