Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine accused Russia of violating a ceasefire proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by conducting dozens of battlefield assaults, air strikes and drone attacks. Zelenskiy called the alleged actions an “obvious spurning” of peace.
Ceasefire proposals and alleged violations
Zelenskiy proposed a cessation of hostilities starting on May 6 in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed ceasefire from May 8 to 9 to coincide with Russia’s World War Two victory commemorations.
In a statement, Zelenskiy said Russia, which did not confirm its adherence to Ukraine’s proposal, had committed 1,820 violations by late morning on Wednesday. “Russia’s choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives,” he said.
Reported casualties and damage
Officials in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region said two people were killed in separate Russian drone attacks on a civilian car and a kindergarten where children were not present.
Officials said air attacks after midnight damaged private buildings, infrastructure and industrial sites in cities including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia, where an attack on Tuesday killed 12 people.
Diplomatic context and Moscow parade plans
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that Russia rejected peace and that its calls for a ceasefire on May 9 had nothing to do with diplomacy. “Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives,” he said.
The competing ceasefire proposals come amid stalled U.S.-backed peace talks to end the more than four-year war, and as Russia presses an offensive to capture the rest of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Russia is set to hold a slimmed-down version of its annual military parade in central Moscow this week, citing an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks.
What do you think the rival ceasefire proposals indicate about the prospects for peace talks?