At least 20 people have been killed in fresh Russian attacks across Ukraine ahead of rival unilateral ceasefires separately announced by Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said five civilians died after Russian glide bombs struck the centre of Kramatorsk, while officials in Zaporizhzhia reported 12 deaths following another aerial assault.
The attacks came as both Russia and Ukraine announced separate ceasefires ahead of Russia’s Victory Day commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Russia said it would observe a ceasefire on May 8 and 9, warning Ukraine against violating the truce and threatening a “massive missile strike” on central Kyiv if attacked.
However, Kyiv announced its own open-ended ceasefire beginning from midnight on May 6, stating that Ukraine would respond “symmetrically” from that moment onward.
The competing ceasefires are unilateral, meaning neither side has formally agreed on shared terms, duration, or monitoring mechanisms.
Zelensky called on Russia to stop attacks and move toward “real diplomacy,” accusing Moscow of hypocrisy.
“It’s utter cynicism to ask for silence to hold propaganda celebrations while launching missile and drone attacks every day beforehand,” he said.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said if Russia respects Kyiv’s truce, Ukraine will continue to observe it.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also launched aerial attacks deep inside Russia before its ceasefire began.
Officials said Ukrainian strikes targeted an industrial site in Kirishi in the Leningrad region and a military component factory in Cheboksary, located in Russia’s Chuvash Republic.
Zelensky claimed Ukraine used domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles in the Cheboksary strike, around 1,500km from the front line.
Russia’s defence ministry later said it intercepted six Flamingo missiles and more than 600 drones.
In Russia, authorities said a drone attack in the Chuvash Republic killed two people and injured 32 others.
Several Russian airports were temporarily shut down on Tuesday morning amid continued drone threats, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported drones being intercepted near the capital.
The Kremlin has reportedly scaled down this year’s Victory Day military parade on Red Square due to what it described as a “terrorist threat” from Ukraine.
Heavy military equipment will reportedly not be displayed, and mobile internet access in Moscow is expected to be restricted in the lead-up to the celebrations.
Zelensky said Russia’s security concerns ahead of its parade highlight the pressure created by Ukraine’s long-range drone capabilities.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to cause widespread civilian casualties and destruction across both countries.
