Russian Strikes Kill At Least 27 In Ukraine Hours Before Kyiv Ceasefire

Russian strikes in Ukraine killed at least 27 people and injured about 20 others on Tuesday, hours before a ceasefire proposed by Kyiv was due to go into effect, according to The Times.

The Times said at least 12 people died in Zaporizhzhia, with emergency services saying guided aerial bombs hit a residential district, and it reported another five killed in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region.

Al Jazeera

The Times also reported four deaths in a strike on the central Poltava region, and deaths in the Chernihiv and Dnipro regions, bringing the death toll to 27.

In parallel, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Ukraine claimed 20 people were killed and more than 60 injured in Russian attacks hours before a ceasefire set to begin, and it quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying, “With mere hours until Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities.”

Al Jazeera put the figure at “at least 26” killed and “more than 80 injured” in Russian drone and missile attacks just hours before Kyiv’s ceasefire was to kick in.

PBS, citing Ukrainian authorities, said Russian drone and missile strikes carried out overnight and later on Tuesday killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 80 others, “hours before Kyiv was due to enact a ceasefire.”

Across the accounts, Zelenskyy warned that the death toll could rise, and he said Ukraine would observe a ceasefire from midnight on Tuesday after a warning by Russia that it would carry out a “massive” missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine attacked the Victory Day military parade on Red Square on May 9, as The Times reported.

The ceasefire dispute was framed around Russia’s Victory Day commemorations and Kyiv’s proposed pause, with multiple outlets describing different start times and conditions.

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, with the Russian Defense Ministry stating it would run Friday and Saturday, while Zelenskyy countered with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier on Tuesday night.

Al Jazeera

NPR reported that Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, but threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tried to disrupt the Victory Day festivities, while Zelenskyy said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond in kind without an end date.

The Times said Zelensky warned that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire from midnight on Tuesday after a warning by Russia about a “massive” missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine attacked the Victory Day military parade on Red Square on May 9.

Anadolu Ajansı described Kyiv’s ceasefire as beginning “hours before” it was set to begin, and it quoted Zelenskyy urging Russia to “force” an end to the war while calling the attack an “absolutely cynical terrorist strike.”

Al Jazeera said the attacks came “just hours before Kyiv’s ceasefire is to kick in and three days before Moscow’s planned pause in fighting,” and it added that Russia’s pause was planned for “Friday and Saturday” to mark Russia’s victory in World War II.

PBS said the Russian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday but said it would strike back if Ukraine tried to disrupt the festivities on Victory Day, and it described Zelenskyy’s response that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire beginning at the end of Tuesday and would respond in kind “from that moment on.”

Ukrainian officials and leaders portrayed the strikes as evidence that Russia was using ceasefire language for propaganda while continuing attacks.

“Ukraine claims 20 killed, 60 injured in Russian attacks on different regions 'With mere hours until Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities,' says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha Kanyshai Butun 05 May 2026•Update: 05 May 2026 İstanbul Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that 20 people were killed and more than 60 injured in Russian attacks hours before a ceasefire declared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to begin”

Anadolu Ajansı

The Times quoted Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, saying, “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,” and it reported Zelensky criticising Russia for launching deadly attacks while seeking a ceasefire.

The Times quoted Zelensky saying, “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 added that Zelensky said Russia could cease fire at any moment.

Anadolu Ajansı quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X: “With mere hours until Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities. “Instead of clearly responding to Ukraine’s suggestion, Russia continues to kill, lie, and deny.”

Al Jazeera also quoted Zelenskyy saying Russia showed “utter cynicism” by announcing a ceasefire and then launching missile and drone attacks, and it included Zelenskyy’s line on X: “Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind,”.

PBS similarly quoted Zelenskyy saying, “Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”

For the energy dimension, Al Jazeera quoted Serhiy Koretskyi, the CEO of Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz, saying, “We have sustained significant damage and production losses. This was a combined strike involving UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and ballistic missiles,” and it added that the attack cut gas supplies to nearly 3,500 customers.

The same pre-ceasefire attacks were described with different casualty totals and different emphases across outlets, underscoring how the figures were contested in real time.

The Times said the death toll reached 27 and that about 20 people were injured, while it also reported that Zelensky warned the death toll could rise.

AP News

Anadolu Ajansı reported Ukraine claimed 20 killed and more than 60 injured, and it quoted Zelenskyy saying a “guided aerial bomb attack” in Zaporizhzhia killed 12 and injured 37 others.

Al Jazeera reported “at least 26” killed and “more than 80 injured,” and it said at least 12 people were killed in Zaporizhzhia alone, while also describing Kramatorsk as killing at least five and Dnipro as killing four.

PBS said Russian strikes killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 80 others, and it described attacks on Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv, saying at least 17 civilians were killed and 45 wounded in the Tuesday afternoon strikes.

Oz Arab Media, in a different framing, said Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine and described five killed in Kramatorsk and four in Dnipro, while also citing that overnight missile and drone strikes killed five and injured dozens.

The divergence extended to the scale of the attack on energy infrastructure and to the drone and missile counts, with Al Jazeera and PBS both citing Ukrainian air force figures but placing them in different narrative structures tied to the ceasefire timeline.

Beyond the immediate casualties, the outlets described what was at stake in the days around Victory Day: energy infrastructure, long-range strikes, and the risk of retaliation if either side disrupts the other’s celebrations.

“With no end in sight to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the two nations currently find themselves embroiled in a curious episode of competing ceasefires that says much about the current state of the war”

Atlantic Council

Al Jazeera said the attacks included a “combined strike involving UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and ballistic missiles” and that the attack cut gas supplies to nearly 3,500 customers, while it also reported that three employees and two rescue workers were killed and 37 people were wounded.

Atlantic Council

PBS said Russia’s strikes hit natural gas production facilities in Ukraine’s central Poltava and northeastern Kharkiv regions, and it reported that since the start of the year Naftogaz facilities have come under attack 107 times.

PBS also described Ukraine’s response in kind: it said Ukraine launched its F-5 Flamingo cruise missiles at targets including military-industrial complex facilities in Cheboksary more than 1,500 kilometers away, and it reported that the plant supplied navigation components for the Russian navy, the missile industry, aviation and armored vehicles.

The Times added that Zelensky said Russia was afraid Ukrainian drones could “buzz over” Red Square during the parade, and it reported that Russia’s defence ministry warned civilians and foreign diplomats in Kyiv to leave promptly, threatening a “massive” missile strike on the centre of Kyiv if the Victory Day celebrations were disrupted.

NBC News said authorities cut off mobile internet services to many customers in Moscow on Tuesday ahead of the parade, and it described Russia’s Defense Ministry warning that any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt the celebrations would prompt retaliation.

In the background of these stakes, Al Jazeera reported that Russia’s air defence destroyed 289 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, while PBS said Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces destroyed 289 Ukrainian drones overnight in 18 Russian regions.