Tit for tat attacks ahead of Kremlin’s WWII celebrations

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters.

Ukraine never said it would abide by Moscow’s call to halt strikes and lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for only wanting to pause fighting so he could stage a grand parade on Red Square on Saturday.

Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week — a counter-proposal for a short-term ceasefire that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cast as a test of whether the Kremlin was serious about providing a brief respite in the four-year war.

Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday, repeatedly urging foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of time.

“On the Russian side, there was not even a token attempt to cease fire on the front,” Zelensky said.

“As we did over the past 24 hours, Ukraine will respond in kind today as well,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 67 drones overnight — the lowest number in almost a month.

Zelensky also reported hundreds of Russian attacks on the front line with short-range drones and attempted assaults.

Russia’s defense ministry said it had downed 264 Ukrainian drones overnight and that its troops were “responding symmetrically.”