Zelenskyy condemns Russian ‘cynicism’ over parade truce as attack kills five | Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of “pure cynicism” of killing five people in night attacks while simultaneously seeking a ceasefire so they could hold a military parade in Moscow.
Three employees of the state energy company Naftogaz were killed in the first attack on a gas facility in Ukraine’s central Poltava region, and two emergency service workers died at the scene in the subsequent bombing. 37 people were injured in the attacks.
The Ukrainian president said: “It is complete mockery to ask for a ceasefire to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out missile and drone attacks every day. Russia can cease fire at any moment, which will stop the war and our reactions.”
Vladimir Putin announced Friday that he has declared a unilateral ceasefire around Russia to mark the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Red Square parade will be held without military hardware, amid fears that Ukraine will target the event with long-range drones.
Zelenskyy offered a 24-hour ceasefire starting at midnight on Wednesday. He said Ukraine would “take reciprocal action” if Russia stopped shooting; This was something Russia had failed to achieve in previous temporary ceasefires.
“It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war, as the Russian defense ministry believes that it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without the good will of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
Without a deal, Moscow faces the embarrassing prospect that Kiev could disrupt the parade for Putin and VIPs. The annual ceremony is an extravagant show of military might that Putin uses to justify his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, portraying both wars as a fight against fascism.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified long-range retaliatory strikes against Russia’s interior, hitting oil refineries, terminals and even warplanes. Drones hit military objects in the Urals, more than 1,600 kilometers from the front line.
The Poltava attack sparked outrage in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said: “Two of those killed were first responders killed in a vile double-tap attack targeting those who arrived to assist at the scene of the attack. Only a terrorist state like Russia would employ such inhumane and criminal tactics.”
One person died in the northeastern Kharkiv region after Russia launched 11 ballistic missiles and 164 unmanned aerial vehicles across the country, according to officials. Direct hits and falling debris were reported in two areas in the Poltava region, regional governor Vitalii Diakivnych said in a statement to the Telegram messaging application. He said the attack cut off gas supplies to about 3,500 people.
Russia’s defense ministry said more than 300 Ukrainian drones were shot down between late Monday and early Tuesday.
Russia’s advance on the battlefield stalled. His army lost more territory than it captured in April for the first time since the summer of 2023, according to an analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War by Agence France-Presse.
