Russia’s drone attack despite Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire

Rescuers in Ukraine caring for the body of a person killed in Russian drone attack on Wednesday. AP Photo

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia carried out dozens of overnight drone attacks on Ukraine, ignoring a unilateral ceasefire declared by Kyiv that came into effect at midnight, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

According to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Russian forces launched 108 drones and three missiles, with strikes continuing through the night into Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating its own ceasefire, claiming its air defenses intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, the annexed Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday.

Russia-installed governor of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov said a Ukrainian drone strike killed five people in the city of Dzhankoi shortly after midnight.

There had been no indication from Moscow that it would observe Kyiv’s ceasefire, with prospects for a pause in fighting remaining slim as the war enters its fifth year following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

On Tuesday, Russian drone and missile strikes killed 27 civilians and injured 120 others in Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The United Nations estimates that more than 15,000 civilians have been killed since the war began.

Fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line, where Russia’s larger forces are engaged in a prolonged and costly battle against Ukraine’s defense systems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the unilateral ceasefire after Russia signaled it would observe a separate pause later this week to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Zelenskyy warned that any violation of the ceasefire would prompt a military response.

European leaders had welcomed Ukraine’s move as a sign of willingness to pursue peace.

However, Sybiha said Russia’s continued attacks showed a lack of sincerity in its own ceasefire proposals linked to upcoming commemorations.

“Moscow once again ignored a realistic and fair call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organizations,” he said.

He urged the international community to increase pressure on Moscow through additional sanctions, diplomatic isolation, accountability for alleged war crimes, and enhanced military and humanitarian support for Ukraine.