Ukraine has accused Russia of breaching a ceasefire initiated at midnight on Wednesday, with fresh attacks reported across several regions just hours after the truce was meant to take effect.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian forces continued strikes overnight, including early morning attacks on Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. He described the actions as proof that Moscow was not committed to peace, criticising what he called “fake” ceasefire gestures.
The ceasefire proposal was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who called for an open-ended halt to hostilities and urged Russia to reciprocate. He said Ukraine would respond “symmetrically” depending on Moscow’s actions.
However, Ukrainian officials reported continued military activity, including drone and missile strikes. According to the air force, Russia launched two ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and more than 100 drones within hours of the ceasefire deadline.
In the northern Sumy region, a drone strike hit a civilian car, killing one passenger and injuring the driver. In Kharkiv, multiple buildings were damaged, with at least one person suffering an acute stress reaction.
Further south, Zaporizhzhia was targeted again after a deadly attack a day earlier that killed 12 people, while infrastructure was also damaged in Kryvyi Rih following another drone strike.
Russia had earlier announced its own ceasefire from May 8 to 9 to coincide with World War II victory commemorations in Moscow. Ukrainian officials, however, dismissed the move as symbolic, arguing that continued attacks undermine any genuine effort towards de-escalation.
The renewed violence comes after a wave of strikes on Tuesday that killed at least 27 people, highlighting the fragile and uncertain nature of any ceasefire efforts in the ongoing conflict.
