Ukraine on Thursday accused Russia of bombing the northeastern region of Sumy during a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The supposed pause in fighting, framed by Moscow as a humanitarian gesture, coincides with Russia’s May 9 commemorations—an event central to the Kremlin’s patriotic narrative. Around thirty world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have gathered in Moscow for the military parade in Red Square.
However, Kyiv dismissed the ceasefire as a “sham.” “Overnight, enemy tactical aviation dropped guided aerial bombs on the Sumy region,” Ukraine’s Air Force reported. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed that Russian forces had already violated the ceasefire at least 734 times since it was supposed to take effect at midnight.
One bomb reportedly fell in a residential area near Bilopillia, a town close to the border with Russia’s Kursk region, according to emergency services.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, also accused Moscow of breaking the ceasefire. Ukraine never formally accepted the proposal and instead called for a 30-day truce, which it considers a more serious path to peace.
In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, both countries exchanged airstrikes. Two people were killed in Ukraine, and the threat of drones prompted the closure of airports in Moscow and other cities. Nizhny Novgorod airport in western Russia shut down operations for about an hour and a half to “ensure the safety of civilian flights,” according to the Federal Air Transport Agency.
In his nightly address on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his offer for a longer ceasefire. “We are not withdrawing this proposal, which could give diplomacy a chance. But the world sees no response from Russia,” he said.
Putin announced the ceasefire last month following weeks of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a resolution to the conflict, now in its fourth year. The Russian leader had previously rejected a joint proposal from the U.S. and Ukraine for an unconditional truce and has since offered only limited gestures toward Trump’s peace efforts.
Kyiv remains skeptical that Moscow will respect this new unilateral ceasefire, citing numerous violations during a previous 30-hour Easter truce declared by Putin.
Meanwhile, attacks continue. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched five ballistic missiles and 187 drones on Wednesday. At least two missiles and 81 drones were intercepted. In Kyiv, a mother and her child were killed, and seven others were injured, including four children.
Zelensky also reported attacks in the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kherson, and Dnipro. In response to the renewed strikes, he called for “even greater pressure and tougher sanctions” against Moscow, arguing that this is the only way to “open a path to diplomacy.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance urged direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, stating that such talks are the only way to end the war, after nearly three months of indirect dialogue led by Washington have failed to yield results.
