Bloody Reciprocal Strikes Between Russia and Ukraine Before Expected Ceasefire

SadaNews - Kyiv announced that at least 22 people were killed as a result of Russian airstrikes on Ukraine yesterday, Tuesday, while Russian news agencies reported today, Wednesday, that an attack by a Ukrainian drone resulted in the death of 5 civilians in the city of Dzhankoy in the Crimea peninsula, which is under Moscow's control.

According to preliminary figures from Ukrainian authorities, at least 12 people were killed in Zaporizhia (south), 6 in Kramatorsk (east), and 4 in Dnipro (central).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he described as "absolute hypocrisy" on Moscow's part for carrying out the strikes despite announcing a ceasefire in commemoration of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

This military escalation comes two days before a ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, set for May 8 and 9, coinciding with the annual celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the victory in World War II in Red Square in Moscow.

In a similar decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a ceasefire starting this evening, Wednesday (9 PM GMT), without specifying its duration.

Concerns About Violating the Ceasefire

Due to concerns over ceasefire violations, Moscow threatened to launch a major missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine violated the ceasefire, while Kyiv warned that it would respond to any violation of this temporary ceasefire.

The two ceasefires come after more than three weeks of a 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, which was repeatedly violated along the front lines despite a pledge to halt long-range missile strikes.

Ukraine has long called for a prolonged ceasefire along the front lines to facilitate negotiations for a deal to end the war that has been ongoing since February 24, 2022, which Moscow refuses as it believes that a longer ceasefire would allow Kyiv to bolster its defenses.