Ukraine has accused Vladimir Putin‘s forces of launching glide bombs into the country just hours after a ceasefire announced by the Russian President took effect. The ceasefire was introduced by Moscow as the country prepares to commemorate VE Day with a huge parade in Red Square.
Despite the installation of a so-called truce, which Ukraine has not agreed to honour, Russian aircraft have launched guided missiles on Ukraine’s Sumy region in the early hours of Thursday, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukraine have described the truce as a “farce”, claiming that it is simply an attempt by the Russian government to create the impression that they are pursuing peace. Meanwhile, Kyiv claimed to have killed or injured 1,200 Russian soldiers in just the last 24 hours.
Viktor Trehubov said Russia had waged military assaults in several areas after midnight.
Ukraine‘s general staff said there had been 139 clashes on the entire frontline as of 10pm local time yesterday – before the ceasefire – and 196 for the last day as of 8am today.
Dozens of world leaders have descended on Moscow for the country’s VE Day parade on May 9, with China’s Xi Jinping set to conduct a four-day visit.
Also in attendance will be the president of European Union aspiring Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, whilst it remains unclear whether EU leaders such as Victor Orban and Robert Fico will defy warnings to stay away from the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Kyiv claimed to have killed or injured 1,200 Russian soldiers in just the last 24 hours, taking the total numbers of soldiers killed or wounded to more than 960,000 since the conflict began.
Mounting Russian losses have forced the Kremlin to amend the way in which it entices people into the armed forces, something experts believe it is doing successfully.
US military analyst Michael Kofman told the BBC: “Russian recruitment increased in the second half of 2024 and exceeded Russian casualties, allowing Moscow to generate additional formations.”
To entice more soldiers, one-time payments for new contracts were hiked in three regions, while combat pay for volunteer soldiers now stands at five to seven times the average regional wage.
In a controversial move, Russia has also allowed volunteers to enlist to evade criminal charges, a practice legalised in 2024.
These volunteers make up a quarter of the identified casualties in recent figures.