Russian strikes kill more than 20 people ahead of proposed ceasefires

2026-05-06 09:05:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine on Tuesday, ahead of rival unilateral ceasefires proposed separately by Moscow and Kiev.

Authorities in Zaporizhzhia said 12 people were killed in a Russian airstrike, which President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a “cynical terrorist attack.” He said five people were killed in Kramatorsk and four in Dnipro.

In Russia, authorities in the Chuvash Republic said two people were killed and 32 others were injured in a drone attack on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Russia and Ukraine declared a unilateral ceasefire ahead of commemorations held by Russia to mark the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany on Saturday.

Russia said it would maintain a ceasefire on May 8 and 9 and threatened a "massive missile strike" on central Kiev if Ukraine violated the ceasefire.

But Kiev announced that it would respect an indefinite ceasefire from midnight on May 6 and that Ukraine would act "symmetrically" from that point on.

The two ceasefires appear to be unilateral - meaning that the two sides have not agreed on their terms, duration or monitoring.

Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, said that if the ceasefire announced by the Ukrainian president were to be mutually respected, "we will continue to respect it... The next step is Russia's."

Zelensky urged Russia to lay down its weapons and "move to real diplomacy."

"It is complete cynicism to demand silence to hold propaganda celebrations and launch such missile and drone attacks every day in advance," he added.

Ukraine's previous indefinite ceasefire was likely a way for Zelensky to show that his country is ready to initiate an immediate and lasting ceasefire and that any violations will be attributed to Russia.

"We believe that human life has an incomparably greater value than 'celebrating' every anniversary," he wrote on Telegram.

Ahead of its midnight ceasefire on Wednesday (Tuesday 22:00 GMT), Ukraine also launched a series of air strikes on Russia, hitting an industrial zone in Kirishi in the Leningrad region and a factory producing military components in Cheboksary, in the Chuvash Republic.

Zelensky said domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles were used to hit the Cheboksary plant, about 1,500 km from the front line. Unverified nighttime video showed a fast-moving object and a large explosion.

The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that it had shot down six Ukrainian Flamingos, as well as 601 drones.

On Tuesday morning, several airports across Russia were temporarily closed. Later, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that a number of drones had been shot down near the capital.

The Kremlin has shown signs of nervousness ahead of Victory Day.

May 9 celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany, have grown in scale and pomp since the beginning of Vladimir Putin's rule in the early 2000s.

But the Kremlin said this year the central event - a large military parade on Red Square - would be scaled down due to the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine and that no heavy military equipment would be on display.

Moscow residents were also warned that mobile internet access would be cut or disrupted for several days before May 9.

Zelensky said that the fact that Russia felt it could not "hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine's goodwill" to respect a ceasefire meant it was time for Russian leaders to "take steps to end their war."

Ukraine has increased drone attacks on Russia in recent weeks, successfully targeting energy facilities and oil refineries, as well as disrupting Russian oil trade.

Its drones can now fly deep into Russia, often evading air defenses, and on Monday morning one of them hit a tall building in central Moscow.

Meanwhile, Moscow's attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to kill and maim civilians across the country. Thousands have died since Russia began its full-scale occupation of the country in February 2022./CNA, translated by BBC