Russia launched drone strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine in another deadly overnight attack, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday, while Kyiv dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of a unilateral three-day ceasefire beginning next week.
The assault damaged homes in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said, killing a 12-year-old girl and wounding three others, including a six-year-old.
Russia also launched 20 drones and 31 powerful guided bombs at Kharkiv, the second-largest Ukrainian city, according to officials. Debris from an intercepted Russian drone started a fire in a neighbourhood of the capital, Kyiv, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that its forces destroyed 91 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The latest drone strikes followed Putin’s announcement on Monday of a 72-hour ceasefire from 8-10 May to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in World War II.
Moscow has effectively rejected a US proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions. Ukraine has accepted the plan from Washington, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kyiv is eager to ensure crucial US military aid for its efforts to repel Russia, amid doubts about whether Europe could pick up the slack if Washington walks away.
US President Donald Trump has pushed to end the war, but he expressed scepticism last weekend about Putin’s commitment to negotiate a peace deal amid continuing attacks on Ukraine. Trump said he suspected the Russian leader could be trying to mislead him.
Moscow and Kyiv trade barbs
Ukrainian officials have scoffed at Putin’s unilateral ceasefire announcement.
Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said Russia is still trying to break through the 1,000-kilometre frontline while launching long-range attacks on civilian areas.
“Putin can give the order for his forces to stop but he does not do this in the hope of deceiving everyone,” Yermak said on Monday.
In his nightly address on Monday, Zelenskyy also accused Putin of trying to string along the US.
“Russia has consistently rejected everything and continues to manipulate the world, trying to deceive the United States,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said that the ceasefire “must be immediate, full, and unconditional — for at least 30 days to ensure it is secure and guaranteed.”
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine has not properly responded to Putin’s announcement and accused Kyiv officials of being deceitful.
“I would say that not giving a direct response to such an initiative by President Putin is, rather, a manipulation,” Peskov told reporters.
Putin previously announced a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire and Ukraine voiced readiness to reciprocate any genuine truce at the time.
However, both sides accused the other of attacks that violated Moscow’s truce.
The Russian leader has previously made a full ceasefire conditional on halting Western arms supplies to Kyiv and Ukraine’s mobilisation effort, demands rejected by Ukraine.
