As a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine comes into effect, Kyiv has accused Moscow of launching attacks across the entire front line. Meanwhile, Russian forces have stated their commitment to the ceasefire, claiming they will only respond to attacks initiated by the other side. Ukraine alleged yesterday that Russian forces had conducted assaults along the front line, despite the unilaterally declared ceasefire by Russia that began at midnight on Wednesday into Thursday.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on the platform “X”: “According to our military data, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims, Russian forces continue to carry out attacks along the entire front line.” He noted that since midnight, Russia had committed 743 violations of the ceasefire and launched 63 attack attempts. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian military confirmed that Russian forces continued to target Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern regions.
Conversely, the Russian military reiterated its strict adherence to the ceasefire, stating that it was only responding to assaults from Kyiv. The Ministry of Defense announced via Telegram that their forces were not conducting any airstrikes, shelling, or launching missiles or drones, adding that the Russian armed forces were responding proportionately to violations of the ceasefire by Ukrainian forces. Additionally, the Interfax news agency reported the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that Ukrainian troops attempted twice to breach the borders of the Kursk region in Russia.
Pressure Attempts
In related discussions, Andriy Yermak, chief adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, revealed that Ukraine had explored ways to pressure Russia into accepting a 30-day ceasefire with high-ranking officials from the U.S., France, Britain, and Germany. He emphasized that all parties agreed that a complete and unconditional ceasefire should be the first step towards achieving a fair and lasting peace.
Yermak added: “We also discussed potential pressure tactics if Russia were to reject the initiative or breach the agreements. The Kremlin’s proposed three-day ceasefire does not aim for peace but rather seeks to secure a military display in Moscow. This is political manipulation.”
Field Developments
In this context, Ukrainian authorities reported one fatality yesterday due to Russian attacks in northeastern Ukraine, along with two others injured from targeted aerial bombardments in the Sumy region, located in the northeast. The regional prosecutor’s office indicated that the bombs were dropped on residential areas near the border, noting no widespread missile or drone attacks had been recorded since 8:30 PM the previous night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Furthermore, the air force reported that their defense systems had downed 20 out of 31 drones launched by Russia over Ukrainian territory on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
It was also mentioned that no Russian missiles or drones were detected in the airspace until 8 AM local time. Additionally, the Ukrainian Air Force declared a state of air alert in seven eastern regions of the country in preparation for potential Russian attacks.