Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine on Tuesday, hours before rival unilateral ceasefires proposed separately by Moscow and Kyiv were due to take effect.
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Ukrainian officials said a Russian aerial assault on the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia killed 12 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as a “cynical terrorist strike”.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, authorities reported five deaths in Kramatorsk and four in Dnipro following additional Russian strikes.
At the same time, officials in Russia said a Ukrainian drone attack killed two people and injured 32 in the Chuvash Republic early on Tuesday.
The violence occurred shortly before separate ceasefires announced by each side were due to begin, though neither truce has been jointly agreed or coordinated.
Rival ceasefires announced
On Monday, Russia said it would pause hostilities on 8 and 9 May to coincide with commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II.
The Kremlin warned that if Ukraine violated the truce, Moscow could launch a “massive missile strike” against central Kyiv.
Kyiv responded by announcing its own ceasefire starting at midnight on 6 May. Ukrainian officials said the pause in fighting would be open-ended and that Ukraine would act “symmetrically” depending on Russia’s actions.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, said Ukraine would maintain the ceasefire if Russia reciprocated.
“If the ceasefire announced by the Ukrainian president is supported, we will continue to observe it,” Budanov said. “The next move is Russia’s.”
Zelensky urged Moscow to halt military operations and move toward negotiations, saying that asking for calm during anniversary celebrations while continuing attacks beforehand was “utter cynicism”.
Drone attacks deepen tensions
Before Ukraine’s ceasefire came into force, Kyiv carried out several strikes inside Russia. Ukrainian forces targeted an industrial area in Kirishi as well as a factory producing military components in Cheboksary.
Zelensky said domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles were used in the strike on the Cheboksary facility, about 1,500km (930 miles) from the front line.
Russia’s defence ministry later said its forces shot down six of the missiles along with 601 drones.
The attacks also disrupted air traffic across Russia. Several airports temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday morning, while Sergei Sobyanin said air defences had intercepted multiple drones near Moscow.
Security concerns before Victory Day
Tensions are rising ahead of Russia’s annual Victory Day on 9 May, a key national event marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
The Kremlin said this year’s celebrations would be scaled back because of what it called a “terrorist threat” from Ukraine. Officials confirmed that the traditional military parade on Red Square would proceed without heavy military hardware.
Authorities in Moscow also warned residents that mobile internet access could be disrupted for several days leading up to the commemorations.
Zelensky said Russia’s security precautions suggested it could not hold the parade without Ukraine’s cooperation in observing a ceasefire.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes against Russian targets, hitting energy facilities and oil refineries and disrupting parts of the country’s oil trade. Ukrainian drones have increasingly reached deep inside Russia, sometimes bypassing air defences, including an attack on a high-rise building in central Moscow earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities continue to cause civilian casualties. Thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 6 May 2026