Kathrine Frich
Vladimir Putin has pushed for a temporary ceasefire around Russia’s Victory Day celebrations
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by saying any truce should begin earlier.
Kyiv said it would mirror Russia’s actions, arguing that if Moscow truly wanted calm for the parade, it should prove its intentions by halting attacks days in advance.
Ukrainian officials now say Russia broke that silence almost immediately after the ceasefire officially began.
Midnight attacks
According to Ukraine’s Air Force and Ukrainska Pravda, Russian strikes were launched within minutes of midnight on 6 May, shortly after the ceasefire came into force.
Air-raid sirens sounded across several regions as Russian drones and guided aerial bombs targeted Ukrainian territory. Authorities said the attacks showed Moscow had no intention of fully observing the truce.
Explosions were reported in Dnipro during an overnight drone attack. Early information indicated Russian Shahed drones were involved in the strike.
Warnings spread
By 00:09, air-raid alerts had already expanded across eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, including Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Sumy oblasts.
Throughout the night, Ukraine’s Air Force reported Russian UAVs moving toward Pavlohrad, Kharkiv, Izium and Vilshany.
The military also said Russian aircraft launched guided aerial bombs toward Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts despite the declared ceasefire.
Growing distrust
The developments are likely to deepen Kyiv’s scepticism toward Moscow’s calls for temporary pauses in fighting tied to symbolic political events.
Zelenskyy had earlier argued that any genuine ceasefire should protect civilians across Ukraine and not only serve Russia’s Victory Day commemorations.
Russia has not publicly commented on the reported overnight attacks at the time of publication.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine’s Air Force, alerts.in.ua
