Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least 22 people and injured more than 80 across Ukraine on Tuesday, just hours before Kiev planned a ceasefire and days before a pause announced by Moscow.
Slide bombs hit the Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk, Zaporizhia and Chernihiv on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 17 civilians and wounding 45. Nighttime attacks killed five people and injured 39, according to The Associated Press.
“Absolute cynicism – demanding silence for holding propaganda celebrations and then carrying out such missile and drone attacks on all days leading up to them,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
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Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a vehicle fire after a Russian drone attack in the Kiev region, Ukraine, on May 5, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)
Zelenskiy added that Russia could end the war at any time.
“Any day now, Russia could cease fire, and that would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and that requires real steps. Ukraine will act in the same way,” he said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry previously said it would declare a unilateral ceasefire on Friday and Saturday to mark Victory Day, but warned it would retaliate if Ukraine disrupted events, The Associated Press reported.
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Ukrainian rescuers work at the site after a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhia on May 5, 2026, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Darya Nazarova/AFP)
The United Nations welcomed the measures, with Secretary-General António Guterres calling for a complete ceasefire.
Guterres called for “a complete, immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire, leading to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions,” The Associated Press reported.
Victory Day, celebrated every year on May 9 in Russia, marks the victory of the Allies over Nazi Germany.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a joint press conference with the Spanish Prime Minister at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on March 18, 2026. (Javier Soriano/AFP)
Russia has previously announced brief holiday truces – most recently for Orthodox Easter – but these have failed to last amid lingering mistrust between the two countries.
During that ceasefire, the Ukrainian military reported more than 2,200 violations, including shelling, attacks and drone activity.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of nearly 2,000 breaches, including attacks in border regions that injured civilians.
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