While waiting to see if the separate truces announced by Russia and Ukraine will work (four days in total, from 6 to 9 May), the two sides have intensified the cross-fire of drones and missiles in the last few hours, with a heavy toll in human lives, especially on the Ukrainian side.
At least 22 people have died in Russian attacks, according to local authorities. While on the other front Moscow reports 4 killed and dozens wounded. And the Russian capital is preparing to celebrate the annual Victory parade on Saturday 9 May, amidst the nightmare of Ukrainian attacks from the sky.
To the point of blocking practically all mobile internet connections in the city center for security reasons, causing serious inconvenience for residents. The regional governor said at least 12 people were killed in a Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine.
While President Volodymyr Zelensky reported at least 5 dead and as many injured in a raid on Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk oblast, stating that “Russian aerial bombs hit right in the center of the city, targeting civilians”.
Zelensky had first reported night raids on Poltava, in particular on energy infrastructure, with a death toll of 4 and dozens injured. Local authorities also report one dead and two injured in the Kharkiv region.
“It is pure cynicism to call for a ceasefire and then celebrate victory with propaganda intent, while missile and drone attacks continue to be carried out every single day leading up to it,” the Ukrainian leader said. The reference is to the truce declared by Moscow on 8 and 9 May, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi-fascism. Kiev responded to this initiative by proposing a suspension of fighting on May 6 and 7.
The head of the bureau, Kirill Budanov, used a more conciliatory tone than Zelensky: «If the ceasefire (…) is mutual, we will respect it, and this will give us, even minimally, the hope of establishing a lasting peace», he underlined.
“We are carefully monitoring the enemy’s every move and are ready for any developments,” Budanov added. But Ukrainian attacks on Russia in the last 24 hours have also been intense, hitting territories up to 2,000 kilometers away from the border.
During the night, the Ministry of Defense said, 289 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in a total of 17 regions, including those of the capital and Leningrad, of which St. Petersburg is the capital. Eighteen airports had to be temporarily closed to traffic.
A massive attack, with drones and missiles, is reported in Cheboksary, in the republic of Chuvasha, with a death toll of two and 32 injured. The target of the bombing would have been the Vniir-Progress military industry, which produces components for drones and missiles, but local authorities also reported heavy damage to residential buildings.
In the Leningrad region, the governor reported a fire that broke out due to an attack on a refining plant in the city of Kirishi. In the Belgorod and Bryansk regions, bordering Ukraine, governors reported the deaths of two people in Ukrainian attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to launch drones towards Moscow, where rehearsals are underway for Saturday’s parade, which for security reasons will take place without military equipment. About twenty unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down again today, after the fortnight on Monday.
The authorities have imposed an almost total block of mobile internet connection in the city center, resulting in difficulty for residents to access many services, including banking and public administration. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry has warned that if the Ukrainians attack the celebrations for the anniversary of the victory, Moscow will respond with “a massive missile attack against the center of Kiev”.