Ukraine accused Russia of flouting a Kyiv-proposed ceasefire on Wednesday by carrying out dozens of battlefield assaults, air strikes and drone attacks in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as Moscow's "obvious spurning" of peace.
Zelenskiy had floated the cessation, starting on May 6, in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin's own proposed ceasefire from May 8 to 9 to coincide with its World War Two victory commemorations.
In a statement, Zelenskiy said Russia - which did not confirm its adherence to Ukraine's proposal - had committed 1,820 violations by late morning on Wednesday.
"Russia's choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives," he said.
TWO KILLED IN DRONE STRIKES
Officials in the northeastern Sumy region said two people were killed in separate Russian drone attacks on a civilian car and a kindergarten where children were not present.
In major cities such as Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia - where an attack on Tuesday killed 12 people - private buildings, infrastructure and industrial sites were damaged in air attacks after midnight, officials said.
"This shows that Russia rejects peace and its fake calls for a ceasefire on May 9th have nothing to do with diplomacy," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.
"Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives."
The rival overtures come amid stalled US-backed peace talks to end the more than four-year war, and as Russia presses an offensive to capture the rest of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
RUSSIA WARNS IT WILL RESPOND TO ATTACKS
Russia will hold a slimmed-down version of its annual military parade in central Moscow this week, citing an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks.
Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that officials would decide on "further actions" later in the day in response to Russia's attacks.
He also said, citing Ukrainian intelligence, that Russia was concentrating its air defenses around Moscow, a fact which "creates additional opportunities" for long-range attacks by Ukraine elsewhere.
Kyiv's forces have stepped up attacks in recent months on military-industrial and energy sites across Russia, particularly oil infrastructure, in a bid to weaken the Kremlin's war machine.
On Monday, Russia's defense ministry had warned that it would respond to Ukrainian attacks during victory celebrations with a "massive missile attack" on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
"We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner," it said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday that a Ukrainian drone had struck a building in Russia's capital overnight, but had caused no casualties.
Some Ukrainians said any unilateral efforts by their military to maintain a ceasefire with Russia would likely prove fruitless while cities and frontline troops remain under attack.
"Maybe we should act the same way Russia does. That is, not to stay silent, not to observe the truce," said 52-year-old Nataliia Fomenko in Kyiv. "We have no other choice."
