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Russian attacks kill more than 20 as both sides float separate ceasefire plans
More than 20 people lost their lives across Ukraine on Tuesday. Russian strikes hit several cities hard. The attacks came just as both Moscow and Kyiv announced their own unilateral ceasefire proposals, each with different terms and timelines.
In Zaporizhzhia, local officials confirmed 12 people were killed in an aerial assault. President Volodymyr Zelensky did not hold back. He called it a calculated terrorist attack. Five more died in Kramatorsk. Four were confirmed dead in Dnipro.
Russia also felt the impact of drone warfare. Authorities in the Chuvash Republic reported two dead and 32 others injured following a Tuesday morning drone strike.
Russian attacks kill more than 20 as truce declarations clash
The violence unfolded against a strange backdrop. On Monday, both nations declared separate ceasefires. The timing is tied to Victory Day, when Russia marks the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany on Saturday.
Moscow stated its ceasefire would cover 8 and 9 May. But it also issued a threat. Any Ukrainian violation would trigger a massive missile strike on central Kyiv.
Kyiv took a different route entirely. Ukraine declared an open-ended ceasefire starting midnight 6 May. Officials said the response would be symmetrical from that point forward.
The two truces remain unilateral. Neither side agreed on terms, duration, or monitoring. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, made the position plain. If Russia reciprocates, Ukraine will continue observing the pause. The next move belongs to Moscow.
Zelensky urged Russian forces to put down their weapons. He pushed for real diplomacy. The president also called out what he described as pure cynicism. Asking for silence to hold propaganda events while launching daily missile and drone attacks beforehand makes no sense.
Ukraine’s longer, open-ended truce appears strategic. It shows Kyiv is ready for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Any breakdown now falls squarely on Russia.
Zelensky put it simply in a statement. Human life carries far greater weight than marking any anniversary. The message was direct and unambiguous.
Before its own ceasefire kicked in at midnight Wednesday, Ukraine launched fresh aerial attacks. An industrial zone in Kirishi, Leningrad region, was hit. A factory producing military components in Cheboksary was also struck.
Zelensky confirmed domestically-made Flamingo cruise missiles were used in the Cheboksary strike. The target sat roughly 1,500 kilometers from the front line. An unverified nighttime video captured a fast-moving object followed by a large explosion.
Russia’s defense ministry later claimed it shot down six Ukrainian Flamingos along with 601 drones. On Tuesday morning, several Russian airports closed temporarily. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced multiple drones had been intercepted near the capital.
The Kremlin is showing signs of unease ahead of Victory Day. The 9 May parade on Red Square has grown more elaborate under Vladimir Putin’s rule. This year, the event will be scaled back. Officials cited terrorist threats from Ukraine. Heavy military hardware will not be on display.
Residents were also warned that mobile internet access would face disruptions in the days leading up to the event. Zelensky seized on the moment. He said the fact that Russia needs Ukraine’s goodwill just to hold a parade speaks volumes. It is time, he added, for Russian leaders to take real steps toward ending their war.
Ukraine has ramped up deep-strike drone operations in recent weeks. Energy facilities and oil refineries have been hit. The Russian oil trade is feeling the disruption. Drones now travel deep into Russian territory, often bypassing air defenses. On Monday morning, one struck a high-rise in central Moscow.
Yet Moscow’s strikes on Ukrainian cities continue without pause. Civilians keep dying. The death toll has climbed steadily since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
