Zelensky Accuses Russia of Ignoring May 9 Ceasefire After 850 Drones

On day 1535 of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of making "the slightest attempt" to respect a unilateral two-day ceasefire announced for May 9 after Russian forces launched over 850 drones during the night.

“Both Ukraine and Russia had announced ceasefires—though independently of each other and over different timeframes”

DIE WELT

Spotmedia.ro said the Russian Ministry of Defense announced it had destroyed over 250 Ukrainian drones since the entry into force at midnight of its unilateral ceasefire, while the Ukrainian army reported shooting down 56 Russian drones outside the front line.

DIE WELT

In the same reporting, Ukrainian forces targeted a refinery and a branch of a defense technology center, and several explosions were heard in the morning in Rostov-on-Don where the Ukrainian army launched an attack on the city's industrial area.

The day’s developments also included a fire near Chernobyl, with Spotmedia.ro describing a massive forest fire raging in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and saying firefighters cannot intervene in some areas due to mines placed by the Russian army during the invasion.

DW reported that Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow will be scaled back, with no military vehicles on Red Square and no cadets from prestigious military academies attending, as Dmitry Peskov said the change was due to the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.

DW also said the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Washington is still prepared to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to end the war if it can be productive, while Rubio said the US does not want to waste time if no progress is made.

DW

Zelensky, in DW’s account, said he expected US envoys to visit Kyiv in the coming weeks to restart negotiations, and he called Russia’s unilateral ceasefire "not even a token attempt".

DW further linked the scaled-back parade to the threat of Ukrainian attacks and said the threat resulted in more than a dozen airports in southern Russia being closed, according to Russia’s aviation authorities.

Multiple outlets described a large forest fire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone after a drone crash near the defunct nuclear plant, with Euronews reporting that as of 10 am on May 8 the approximate area of the fire was about 1,100 hectares.

“Radiation levels at the site were within "normal limits," authorities reported, adding that firefighters were working to contain the blaze”

Euronews

Euronews said radiation levels at the site were within "normal limits" and that the fire broke out on Thursday "as a result of a drone crash," while Ukraine’s state emergency service said strong gusts of wind were rapidly spreading the fire across the forest.

News.au similarly said the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported the estimated area affected by the fire now exceeds 1,100 hectares and that the situation was complicated by dry weather, strong winds and the risk of landmines, with work temporarily suspended in some forest sections due to the threat of explosive ordnance.

News.au added that firefighters were operating in an enhanced mode and that "Units of the State Emergency Service" and specialist equipment and personnel were deployed to localise ignition sources and prevent the fire from spreading further.