Kiev: Ukrainian military and regional officials on Monday reported waves of Russian drone strikes alongside fierce frontline skirmishes across the past 24 hours, openly violating the US-facilitated truce now hanging by a thread, Reuters reported.
The brief May 9-11 ceasefire, sealed on Friday between Kyiv and Moscow, formed a key plank in President Donald Trump’s high-stakes attempt to end over four years of devastating war ignited by Russia’s 2022 invasion. Trump had sounded optimistic on Friday about extending it. However, Sunday triggered sharp mutual accusations of violations from both Kyiv and Moscow, as each side blamed the other for eroding the truce’s credibility right from the outset.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday said Moscow had refrained from large-scale aerial and missile attacks but that it had continued assaults along parts of the long front where Russian forces are advancing.
Also on Sunday, Russia’s Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of flouting the ceasefire, saying it had downed 57 Ukrainian drones over the past day and “responded in kind” on the battlefield. It did not immediately report on the battlefield situation on Monday, fuelling uncertainty over escalation risks.
Toll Rises Across Frontline Provinces
Southeastern Zaporizhzhia suffered one civilian death and two injuries, as announced by the regional governor. In southern Kherson, two were killed and two wounded, according to that province’s leader.
Neighbouring Mykolaiv recorded three wounded; northern Kharkiv five injured; eastern Donetsk four hurt, governors confirmed.
Ukraine’s General Staff documented 180 clashes along the front in the last day, highlighting Russian deployment of 8,037 “kamikaze” drones targeting civilian areas and military outposts on Sunday.
