The Russian Ministry of Defense yesterday said that its forces had destroyed 347 Ukrainian drones overnight, days before Moscow holds World War II commemorations and amid competing calls from both sides for a temporary ceasefire.
The drone strikes came a day after Russia warned in a note to foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations that it would launch a “retaliatory strike” on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, “including against decisionmaking centers,” if Ukraine disrupted tomorrow’s commemorations.
It urged them to “ensure the timely evacuation of personnel from diplomatic and other missions, as well as citizens, from the city of Kyiv.”
Photo: Reuters
Ukraine had announced a unilateral truce on Wednesday — a request ignored by Moscow’s army, which continued its attacks throughout the day and overnight.
Kyiv’s proposal was a counteroffer after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a truce to cover tomorrow, when Russia marks victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and stages a major military parade on Red Square.
The Kremlin yesterday said it would begin the two-day ceasefire with Ukraine starting at midnight.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian security services were preparing for tomorrow’s event, “particularly given the terrorist threat” from Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine yesterday traded strikes, wounding 13 people in the Russian border city of Bryansk and one person in Ukraine’s Dnipro, officials from both sides said.
A woman was killed in the Belgorod border region, the local governor said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobianin said that at least five drones “flying toward Moscow” had been destroyed.
Russia fired 102 drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s air force said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had criticized Russia for ignoring the call to halt fire and left open the possibility of launching massive strikes on Russia during the Victory Day celebrations.
Kyiv has intensified its strikes on Russian energy sites in the past few weeks, while a Russian barrage has killed dozens in recent days, in one of the deadliest periods for civilians in weeks.
“Today, virtually all day long, virtually every hour, we have been receiving reports of strikes from various regions,” Zelenskiy said in his evening address.
Ukraine would “respond in kind” to Russia’s violations and decide its next steps accordingly, he said.
Ukrainian officials reported multiple attacks throughout Wednesday when Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire was due to be in force.
At least four people died in Russian attacks, including two at a kindergarten in the northern Sumy region, officials said.
A Russian strike yesterday wounded one person in the central-eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration.
Fighting also continued on the front line.
“The enemy continued to carry out infantry raids and attempts to storm our positions,” a Ukrainian officer at the eastern front, speaking on condition of anonymity said.
Since Russia “did not comply” with the Kyiv-proposed ceasefire, “our unit responded in kind and countered all provocations,” he added.
Another frontline commander said: “The intensity of combat operations remains at the same level.”
His unit was also responding.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” he said.
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