Kyiv: A rare calm settled over Ukraine’s major cities on Thursday morning as a Kremlin-declared three-day ceasefire took hold, contrasting with consecutive nights of intense Russian aerial assaults involving drones and ballistic missiles.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that despite the ceasefire, Russian aircraft launched two guided bomb attacks on the Sumy region in northern Ukraine shortly after the truce commenced. There were no immediate reports of casualties or infrastructure damage, and Reuters could not independently verify the incidents.
The temporary truce, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, took effect at midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT). As part of the commemoration, Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other foreign leaders in Moscow. Putin is also scheduled to oversee the traditional military parade in Red Square on May 9.
Ukraine, however, has not formally agreed to the ceasefire. Officials in Kyiv have dismissed it as a strategic maneuver by the Kremlin to portray Putin as a peacemaker. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began in February 2022 and continues with no clear resolution in sight. Despite Moscow’s stated commitment to peace, skepticism remains high in Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces launched a series of drone strikes against Moscow earlier this week, leading to the temporary closure of several airports and disruptions to flight operations in the Russian capital.
By early Thursday, reports of Russian long-range missile or drone attacks on Ukrainian urban centers had largely ceased. Kyiv, which had been rocked by repeated explosions the previous night, remained silent as of 3:45 a.m. local time (00:45 GMT). The absence of both incoming strikes and outgoing Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire marked a significant, if brief, change in the city’s atmosphere.
Whether hostilities on the frontlines had paused remained unclear. A Reuters correspondent stationed near the eastern frontlines reported an absence of active combat in the early hours of the day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated his support for a longer cessation of hostilities, referencing a 30-day ceasefire proposal made earlier this year.
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“We are not withdrawing this proposal, which could give diplomacy a chance,” Zelenskiy said during his nightly address on Wednesday.
“This clearly and obviously demonstrates to everyone who the source of the war is,” he added, noting that Russia had responded to the offer only with renewed strikes.
He also appeared to acknowledge Ukrainian drone activity targeting Russian territory ahead of the WWII commemorative events.
“It is absolutely fair that Russian skies, the skies of the aggressor, are also not calm today, in a mirror-like way,” Zelenskiy said.
In a series of Telegram updates, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that Russian air defenses had intercepted or downed 14 drones approaching the capital. These events occurred just hours before the Kremlin’s ceasefire went into effect.
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The 30-day ceasefire proposal, originally tabled by the United States in March, received Ukraine’s approval but was met with resistance from Moscow. Russian officials insist that any formal truce must be accompanied by enforceable mechanisms to ensure compliance.
Despite the mutual toll of the conflict, both Ukraine and Russia are under mounting international pressure to de-escalate. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has recently reengaged with global diplomatic circles, has reportedly urged both nations to seek a rapid resolution to what has become Europe’s most destructive war since the Second World War.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized recent remarks by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg, who suggested that President Putin might be impeding the path to a broader ceasefire.
“The only obstacle to the ceasefire is Kyiv, which violates agreements and is unwilling to seriously discuss the terms of a long-term ceasefire,” Zakharova said.
