Moscow declared a three-day truce to match up with Moscow’s own World War II commemorations on May 9. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already called this initiative your typical Washington theatrics. He further asserted, in no uncertain terms, that Ukraine won’t be “playing games.” Despite this dangerous escalation of fighting, he said they will not protect Russian President Vladimir Putin from his growing international isolation.
The humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine is acute. Russian shelling has resulted in the deaths of two civilians within the Donetsk region. A Russian drone strike in Kherson killed a civilian. At the same time, in an overnight drone attack in Kyiv, some residential houses were damaged and cars caught fire. Despite all these attacks, Kyiv and its surrounding regions were only under air raid alerts for about one hour last Sunday— March 7.
In a notable military development, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported the destruction of a Russian Su-30 fighter jet by a missile fired from a seaborne drone. If so, it would be the first confirmed downing of a combat aircraft by a drone at sea in history.
In response to Moscow’s media dutifully acclaiming the truce, Zelenskyy was quick to cast doubt on its seriousness. He described the announcement as “less than a stunt, more of a theatrical performance.” He continued by stating that a true ceasefire calls for more than just short-lived halts in fighting.
“This is more of a theatrical performance on his part, because in two or three days it is impossible to develop a plan for the next steps to end the war.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev issued a stark warning regarding potential Ukrainian attacks during the May 9 celebrations, stating that nobody could guarantee Kyiv’s survival should it launch an offensive against Moscow.
Impact
Violence continues to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. A Ukrainian drone attack in Cherkasy caused a night of fires, and a separate Ukrainian drone strike at a Russian grain terminal in Novorossiisk damaged dozens of residential buildings, injuring five.
As the conflict intensifies, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for a full ceasefire but remains cautious about Russia’s true intentions. Vitali Klitschko reported that medics were dispatched to assist those affected in the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv, underscoring the persistent toll the conflict takes on civilian life.