On Thursday, May 8, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the unilateral 3-day ceasefire announced by Russia has been proven to be a “farce” due to its continued attacks on the frontlines.
Sybiha took to the X social media platform and said, “As expected, Putin’s ‘parade ceasefire’ has been proven to be a farce.” He was referring to the ceasefire coinciding with the military parade on Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, commemorating the end of World War II.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister accused Russia of 734 ceasefire violations since the ceasefire agreement took effect early Thursday and added that Ukraine has responded appropriately to each attack.
The Russian Defense Ministry, on the other hand, insisted that the ceasefire announced by President Putin to commemorate Victory Day in World War II is being observed and blamed Ukraine for 488 ceasefire violations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia’s military and security services are taking “all necessary measures” to ensure that the celebrations take place in a “calm, stable, and peaceful atmosphere,” including disrupting mobile internet connections before the parade.
Unlike Russia, other parts of Europe celebrated Victory in Europe Day on May 8. This year’s commemorative events mark the 80th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany.
Following the implementation of the ceasefire declared unilaterally by Putin early Thursday, there has been a reduction in combat activities, with the drone and missile attacks that had disrupted Ukrainian cities in the previous days temporarily ceasing.
Witnesses near the frontlines in eastern Ukraine reported hearing about eight rounds of artillery fire and distant explosions on Thursday. In their area, a small Russian assault team attempted to advance but was stopped by Ukrainian drones.
They noted that the overall level of activity in the region was significantly lower than usual.
Ukraine has not committed to abide by the ceasefire, labeling it as a “ploy” by Putin to create the illusion that he “wants to end the war.”
It was reported that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will attend the commemorative event on Moscow’s Red Square.
Ahead of the event, Ukraine warned that they could not guarantee the safety of anyone attending the parade. Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov expressed, “Russia is seriously concerned about the possibility of Ukrainian drone attacks.”
(Information sourced from reports by Reuters and the BBC)