Russian Strikes Kill At Least 22 In Ukraine Before Kyiv Ceasefire

Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 80 others in Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities, hours before Kyiv’s ceasefire was due to begin and three days before Moscow’s planned pause in fighting.

“At least 26 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, just hours before Kyiv’s ceasefire is to kick in and three days before Moscow’s planned pause in fighting”

Al Jazeera

The attacks hit Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv, with the Inquirer reporting that Russian glide bombs “smashed into the eastern city of Kramatorsk, the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, and the northern city of Chernihiv,” killing at least 17 civilians and wounding 45 others.

Al Jazeera

The Inquirer also said attacks the previous night killed five people and wounded 39, while the BBC reported that authorities in Zaporizhzhia said 12 people were killed in a Russian aerial attack and that President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as a “cynical terrorist strike”.

AFP via France 24 put the toll at 21 killed across cities including Zaporizhzhia, Kramatorsk and Dnipro, and said Zelensky condemned Moscow’s “utter cynicism” for launching deadly strikes while seeking a truce to stage its May 9 parade.

Al Jazeera reported that “At least 26 people have been killed and more than 80 injured” in Russian drone and missile attacks just hours before Kyiv’s ceasefire kicked in, and it said heavy Russian glide bombs hit Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv.

The Times reported a death toll of 27, saying “there were deaths in the Chernihiv and Dnipro regions, bringing the death toll to 27,” and it said about 20 people were injured.

Across the reporting, the same ceasefire window framed the violence: the BBC described rival unilateral ceasefires proposed by Kyiv and Moscow, while the Inquirer and PBS/AP both tied the strikes to the timing of Kyiv’s planned ceasefire and Moscow’s Victory Day pause.

The ceasefire confrontation centered on Victory Day commemorations and competing timelines, with Moscow announcing a pause for May 8-9 and Kyiv proposing an open-ended ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 6.

NBC News said Russian President Vladimir Putin announced “a two-day ceasefire” to observe the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, and it said the ceasefire would run Friday and Saturday “according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.”

Anadolu Ajansı

NPR reported that Russia’s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire “for Friday and Saturday” and threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tried to disrupt Victory Day festivities, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine would observe a truce beginning at “12 a.m. on Wednesday” and respond in kind.

The BBC described the rival unilateral ceasefires as “meaning the two sides have not agreed on their terms, length or monitoring,” and it said Kyiv announced it would observe an open-ended ceasefire from midnight on 6 May while Russia would hold a ceasefire on 8 and 9 May.

The Times said Putin has said Russia will observe a ceasefire from May 8-9 to commemorate the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany, and it described Zelensky’s warning that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire from midnight on Tuesday after Russia warned it would carry out a “massive” missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine attacked the Victory Day parade on Red Square on May 9.

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said “With mere hours until Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities,” and it said Zelenskyy declared a ceasefire “starting at 00:00 on the night of May 5–6” (Kyiv time).

In the same reporting thread, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that if Ukraine disrupted the festivities, “the Russian armed forces will launch a retaliatory, massive missile strike on the centre of Kyiv,” and it told civilians and foreign diplomatic missions in Kyiv “the need to leave the city promptly.”

Ukrainian leaders framed the strikes and the ceasefire proposals as a test of whether Russia values human life, with President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly condemning Moscow’s timing.

“Russian attacks kill more than 20 ahead of rival ceasefires proposed by Kyiv and Moscow Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine on Tuesday ahead of rival unilateral ceasefires proposed separately by Moscow and Kyiv”

BBC

The Inquirer quoted Zelensky rebuking Moscow for “utter cynicism” and said he posted on X: “Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” adding that “Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”

The Times carried Zelensky’s criticism that “It is utter cynicism to ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out such missile and drone strikes every single day leading up to it,” and it quoted him saying “Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses.”

The BBC also quoted Zelensky’s line that “It's utter cynicism to ask for silence to hold propaganda celebrations and to launch such missile-drone attacks every day beforehand,” and it said Ukraine’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov told reporters that if the ceasefire announced by Zelensky was reciprocated, “we will continue to observe it... The next move is Russia's”.

In the same BBC account, Budanov’s framing was paired with Zelensky’s call for “real diplomacy,” while the Times included Budanov’s direct challenge: “The next step is Russia’s. Is Moscow ready to prove that human life has any value for them? We are closely monitoring the enemy’s every move and are prepared for any developments,” Budanov said.

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said “With mere hours until Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities,” and it added that Sybiha said Russia continues to “kill, lie, and deny.”

The Times also included Sybiha’s specific accusation about strikes on first responders, saying: “Two of the killed [in Poltava] were first responders, killed in a vile double-tap strike targeting those who arrived to help people at the scene of the attack.”

While the ceasefire timing was consistent across outlets, the reported casualty totals varied, and each outlet’s framing reflected its own sourcing.

The Times put the death toll at 27, saying “there were deaths in the Chernihiv and Dnipro regions, bringing the death toll to 27,” and it said “About 20 people were injured.”

Boursorama

Reuters in The Times’ account described “Almost 30 people were killed” and said emergency services reported guided aerial bombs hit a residential district of Zaporizhzhia, while it also said another five people were killed in Kramatorsk and four died in a strike on the central Poltava region.

BBC reported “more than 20” deaths ahead of rival ceasefires and specified 12 killed in Zaporizhzhia, five in Kramatorsk, and four in Dnipro, while it also described a drone attack in Russia’s Chuvash Republic that killed two people and injured 32.

Al Jazeera reported a higher figure, saying “At least 26 people have been killed and more than 80 injured,” and it said 12 people were killed in Zaporizhzhia alone and that Kramatorsk deaths reached at least five.

PBS/AP said strikes killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 80 others, while France 24’s AFP report said Russian attacks killed 21 people and that at least 70 people were also wounded.

Anadolu Ajansı claimed Ukraine’s figures of 20 killed and more than 60 injured, and it said Zelenskyy reported 12 killed and 37 injured in Zaporizhzhia.

As the ceasefire deadlines approached, Russia tightened security in Moscow and prepared for potential violations, while Ukraine continued long-range strikes and urged air-defense support.

“Russia has announced a ceasefire—and is simultaneously attacking”

DIE WELT

The Guardian reported that Russia shut down airports and temporarily cut mobile internet access for many users in Moscow on Tuesday ahead of the 9 May Victory Day parade, and it said the parade would proceed without heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades.

DIE WELT

The Guardian also said checkpoints were set up across the city and “snipers and machine-gun crews deployed on Kremlin towers,” and it described dead mobile signals across Moscow that disrupted taxi drivers and delivery couriers.

In parallel, the BBC said that ahead of its own midnight ceasefire on Wednesday (Tuesday 22:00 GMT), Ukraine launched a series of aerial attacks on Russia, hitting an industrial area in Kirishi in the Leningrad region and a factory that produces military components in Cheboksary, in the Chuvash Republic.

The BBC reported that Zelensky said domestically-produced Flamingo cruise missiles were used to strike the Cheboksary factory, some 1,500km (930 miles) away, and it said the Russian defence ministry later confirmed it had downed six Ukrainian Flamingos as well as 601 drones.

Al Jazeera added that Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones since 6pm (15:00 GMT) on Monday, and it said one missile and 149 drones were shot down or neutralised while eight missiles and 14 drones struck 14 locations.

For the immediate political stakes, the Russian Defense Ministry’s warning to Kyiv’s civilian population and foreign diplomatic missions was explicit: “the need to leave the city promptly,” and it threatened a “massive missile strike on the centre of Kyiv” if the celebration was disrupted.