Russia, Ukraine trade blame over ceasefire violations

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire that came into effect at midnight on May 8 and is scheduled to last until May 10.

According to Russian authorities, cited by ASTRA, Ukraine carried out extensive overnight attacks. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems shot down 264 Ukrainian drones, prompting the temporary suspension of operations at 13 airports in the country’s southern regions.

The ministry also reported strikes on key sites, including the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez facility in Perm, a railway station in Grozny, and the Khankala area, where a major military base is located. It claimed there were 1,356 violations of the ceasefire by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine, however, accused Russia of launching its own large-scale attacks during the same period. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops conducted 10 assault operations and carried out more than 850 drone strikes overnight.

He stressed that Russia “did not even attempt to observe the ceasefire on the front.”

By Tamilla Hasanova