Ukraine drone attack after Russia shunned truce offer
Russian air defenses shot down 347 Ukrainian drones in what appeared to be a major attack after Moscow rejected a ceasefire in Kiev earlier in the week and tensions rose over security at Russia’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations, Russia’s defense ministry said.
In the second-largest airstrike on Ukraine since Russia’s all-out invasion more than four years ago, incoming drones destroyed more than 20 Russian sites, including Moscow, according to the defense ministry.
The biggest was in March 2025, when it launched 389 drones.
The attack took place before Victory Day, Russia’s most important secular holiday, which marks the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II.
Russian authorities declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and Saturday.
Ukraine responded by suspending hostilities as of midnight Tuesday.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Moscow ignored this goodwill gesture and launched new attacks.
“Russia has not stopped any form of military activity. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Ukraine will act symmetrically,” Zelenskiy said in his regular video speech Wednesday evening. he said.
Russia’s attacks are continuing non-stop, with drones, missiles, artillery bombardments and glider bombs hitting civilian areas of Ukraine, including its power grid and railway network, he said on Thursday at X.
Nine people, including three children, were injured in a drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast, local officials said.
Tensions rose as Russia’s Victory Day celebrations approached and U.S.-led peace efforts gained no traction.
All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be shut down in the Russian capital on May 9, state media reported Thursday, citing the country’s communications ministry.
Additionally, the traditional parade in Moscow will not feature the usual tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades.
Russian officials say they are concerned about possible Ukrainian attacks as Kiev expands its long-range drone and missile capabilities.
The Russian defense ministry cited the “current operational situation” as the reason for excluding military equipment.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said additional security measures were taken due to the “rather complex operational situation.”
Peskov told reporters that the measures taken were “necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, which is an absolute priority.”
The restrictions will also include websites on the Russian government’s so-called “whitelist,” a group of state-sanctioned online services made available during the country’s increasingly common disconnections.
The military said Ukrainian air defenses shot down 92 of the 102 drones Russia launched during the night.
Russia has a significant advantage in drone numbers, regularly deploying hundreds in a single attack.
