Written by Lisa Murimi
Russia’s much-anticipated three-day ceasefire, called by President Vladimir Putin to mark Victory Day, has quickly unraveled as continued attacks plague the frontlines.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the truce as a “farce,” accusing Russia of 734 violations since it took effect.
He added that Ukraine had responded “appropriately” to every attack.
At least one casualty was reported in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, where Russian strikes targeted residential areas.
Emergency responders freed a woman trapped under the rubble in Bilopillia, a town just south of the Russian border.
Despite the ceasefire, Russian airstrikes, particularly with glide bombs, continued to intensify, with military assaults reported in multiple eastern regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the ceasefire as a “theatrical show” designed to shield the Russian Victory Day parade from criticism.
He reiterated his demand for a more substantial truce, proposing a 30-day halt to hostilities, which the Kremlin rejected.
The ceasefire’s breakdown underscores the deepening mistrust between the two sides, with Kyiv refusing to be swayed by what it sees as a ploy to distract from Russia’s ongoing war efforts.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin insisted its forces were observing the truce, but accused Ukraine of violating it 488 times.
Sviatoslav Yurash, a Ukrainian MP and soldier, sharply rebuked Moscow: “We don’t want a peace that breaks apart in no time, and Russia takes another attempt to try and kill us and destroy us,” he told the BBC.
As the war rages on, both sides remain entrenched in their positions, with no sign of peace on the horizon.
