Russian and Ukrainian officials traded accusations on Friday that the other side had violated a temporary ceasefire Moscow had declared to coincide with its Victory Day commemorations.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that 264 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the early hours of Friday. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the capital had been targeted, and officials in the Urals region reported drone strikes on Perm.
Russia had put forward a ceasefire running from May 8 to May 10 to cover its observances marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany, including a military parade in Moscow. Prior to the pause, Russian authorities warned that any Ukrainian effort to disrupt the celebrations could prompt a large missile strike on Kyiv, and Moscow said it had instructed foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital in case of retaliation.
On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions during the night into Friday. He argued this demonstrated that Russia had not made "even a token attempt to cease fire on the front." As of 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), Zelenskiy said there had been more than 140 Russian strikes on Kyiv's frontline positions.
In his comments, Zelenskiy reported that Russian forces conducted 10 assaults overnight and launched more than 850 drone strikes. He reiterated that Ukraine would respond in kind, saying:
"As we did over the past 24 hours, Ukraine will respond in kind today as well. We will defend our positions and people’s lives."
Earlier in the week, in response to Moscow's ceasefire announcement, Zelenskiy had proposed an open-ended truce beginning on May 6. He said Russia had violated that proposal. Neither side accepted the other's ceasefire terms.
The Victory Day commemorations referenced by Russia honor the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in that conflict, including many millions in Ukraine, and advanced to Berlin where Adolf Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in May 1945.
The situation remains fluid, with both capitals accusing the other of violations during a period set aside for national ceremonies. The competing claims underscore the fragile nature of temporary pauses in fighting and the risks surrounding major national events.