Russian attacks kill 22 as Ukraine truce proposal nears

As the midnight deadline for Ukraine’s open-ended ceasefire proposal approaches, Russian attacks on Ukraine have left at least 22 dead; 12 of which were among the worst attacks so far this year.

Russia, Soviet Union’s World War II. He declared an armistice for May 8–9, commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and holding a military parade.

In response, Ukraine announced an open-ended ceasefire proposal starting at midnight on Wednesday, urging Russia to reciprocate.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that it was not an option for Russia, which hit Ukraine heavily, to stop the attacks for a day for the military parade.

According to the statement of emergency services in the Telegram application, at least 12 people died in the city of Zaporizhia.

At least 16 more people were injured, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.

He said residential buildings, a car repair service and a car wash facility were damaged in the attack.

He added that the attack also caused a fire at a store and an unidentified business.

The images taken from the site he shared showed a heavily damaged building filled with flames and smoke.

Cars can be seen burning as first responders help bloodied people leave the area.

In Telegram, Zelenskiy said three aerial bombs dropped on the city of Kramatorsk on the eastern front killed five more people.

Stating that five people were injured, the official warned that the death toll could increase.

Ukrainian officials said five people were killed in an overnight attack on gas production facilities in Russia’s Poltava region.

The Ukrainian government has made clear that it is ready to indefinitely extend the ceasefire, which will come into force at midnight on Tuesday.

Head of the presidential office Kyrylo Budanov shared on social networks, “If the ceasefire announced by the President (Volodymyr Zelenskiy) is responded to, we will continue to observe it. And this will give us at least a small glimmer of hope to achieve a lasting peace.”

“The next move is Russia’s,” he said.

“We closely follow every move of the enemy and are prepared for possible developments,” he said.

Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s Chuvashia region on Tuesday, the Russian state news agency reported.

Russia’s major Kirishinefteorgsintez (Kirishi) oil refinery stopped processing on Tuesday following Ukrainian drone attacks that damaged units of the plant and caused a fire, two industry sources said.

Sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation said that three of the refinery’s four crude distillation units were damaged in the drone attack.

Sources stated that it was difficult to estimate the time required to repair the damaged units, adding that many secondary units were also damaged.

Leningrad regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire broke out in the industrial zone in Kirishi early Tuesday.

with DPA