Russia and Ukraine are trading accusations of violating a fragile US-brokered ceasefire, as deadly drone strikes continue to rock the agreement. Russian officials accused Kyiv of breaking the truce on Sunday, while Ukrainian authorities reported one person killed and several more injured by Russian drone and artillery strikes in the past 24 hours.
Conflicting Claims of Ceasefire Violations
In the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Kherson region, two people were injured by Ukrainian shelling, according to Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-installed leader of the area. Separately, Russia's Ministry of Defense accused Kyiv of committing more than 1,000 ceasefire violations, as reported by state media citing a daily briefing on Sunday. The ministry claimed Ukrainian forces had attacked civilian targets in several Russian regions and carried out strikes against Russian military positions along the frontline. Russia's military “responded in kind” to the ceasefire violations, the ministry stated.
Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Russia had launched attacks but stopped short of directly accusing Moscow of violating the US-brokered truce, which was confirmed by former President Donald Trump and came into effect on Saturday.
Casualties and Damage in Ukraine
Ivan Fedorov, head of Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, reported that one person had been killed and three more injured by artillery and drone attacks over the past 24 hours. Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of Ukraine's Kherson region, said that seven people had been wounded during the same period. Additionally, five people were injured when a Russian drone attack damaged a nine-storey apartment block in the industrial district of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, speaking late Saturday.
Trump's Ceasefire Announcement
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to his request for a ceasefire running from Saturday through Monday to mark Victory Day, the Russian celebration commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Trump also stated that there would be an exchange of prisoners, declaring that the break in fighting could be the “beginning of the end” of the war.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had earlier remarked that Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square” during the May 9 parade in Moscow, followed up on Trump's statement by mockingly declaring Red Square temporarily off-limits for Ukrainian strikes to allow the Russian parade to proceed. The Kremlin dismissed the comment as a “silly joke.”
Overnight Drone Activity
Ukraine's air force reported on Sunday that it had shot down or destroyed all of the 27 strike and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight.
