Ukraine Says Russia Violating Its Own Three-Day Ceasefire

Kyiv calls initiative a farce, designed to coincide with May 9 parade in Moscow

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KYIV - Ukraine's foreign minister said on May 8 that Russia had repeatedly violated its own three-day ceasefire hours after it began and called the initiative a "farce", while Moscow said Kyiv had continued fighting.

There was, though, a drop-off in combat activity after the ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin came into force in the early hours of May 8, with a respite in the drone and missile attacks that had rattled Ukrainian cities earlier in the week.

"Predictably, Putin's 'parade ceasefire' proves to be a farce," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X, referring to the truce which coincides with a May 9 parade in Moscow to commemorate the end of World War II.

"Russian forces continue to attack across the front line," he wrote. "From midnight to midday, Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations and 63 assault operations, 23 of which are ongoing."

He said Kyiv was notifying the United States and European states about Russia's actions.

The Russian Defence Ministry, cited by Interfax news agency, said Ukraine had carried out 488 attacks on Russian targets and twice tried to break through the border in the Kursk region.

The two sides did not immediately comment on each other's battlefield reports, which Reuters could not independently confirm.