Russia Says Ukraine Launched A Major Drone Attack After Moscow Shunned Ceasefire Offer

Russian aerial defenses changeable down 347 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday, successful what appeared to beryllium a awesome onslaught aft Moscow spurned Kyiv’s ceasefire earlier successful nan week and hostility mounted complete information astatine Russia’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations.

Incoming drones were destroyed complete 20 Russian regions, including Moscow, according to nan Defense Ministry, successful Ukraine’s second-biggest aerial onslaught since Russia’s all-out penetration much than 4 years ago. The largest was past March erstwhile it launched 389 drones.

Dozens much Ukrainian drones were launched during daylight hours Thursday, nan ministry said, including immoderate heading again toward Moscow. Nearly 100 flights successful and retired of nan Russian capital’s 3 main airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo — were delayed aliases canceled by midday, nan Moskva news agency reported.

The attacks came up of Russia’s astir important secular holiday, Victory Day, which marks nan day of nan conclusion of Nazi Germany successful World War II. Russian authorities person declared a unilateral ceasefire successful Ukraine for Friday and Saturday.

Ukraine had responded to that pinch its ain suspension of hostilities from midnight Tuesday. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow disregarded nan goodwill motion and launched caller attacks.

“Russia has not stopped immoderate type of its subject activity. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Ukraine will enactment symmetrically,” Zelensky said successful his regular evening video reside Wednesday.

He said Thursday connected X that Russia’s attacks person been ceaseless, pinch drones, missiles, artillery shelling and glide bombs hitting civilian areas of Ukraine, including nan powerfulness grid and obstruction network.

In nan northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest, a drone onslaught wounded 9 people, including 3 children, section officials said.

Tension has grown arsenic Russia’s Victory Day celebrations attack and U.S.-led bid efforts summation nary traction.

All mobile net entree and matter messaging services will beryllium unopen down successful nan Russian superior connected May 9, authorities media reported Thursday, citing nan country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.

A accepted parade successful Moscow won’t characteristic nan accustomed tanks, missiles and different subject instrumentality for nan first clip successful astir 2 decades.

The Russian Defense Ministry cited nan “current operational situation” arsenic a logic for excluding subject equipment.

Russian authorities opportunity they are concerned astir imaginable Ukrainian attacks, arsenic Kyiv has expanded its long-range drone and rocket capabilities.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that further information measures were being taken owed to nan “rather analyzable operational situation.”

The measures being taken “are basal to guarantee nan information of citizens, which is an absolute priority,” Peskov told reporters.

Among nan overseas dignitaries expected to be nan Victory Day ceremonies connected Saturday are Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Russia repeated its caller warnings to Ukraine that it would return decisive action — including a imaginable wide onslaught connected Kyiv — if Ukrainian attacks disrupt nan occasion.

“We person strengthened our attraction connected nan anticipation of retaliatory measures,” statesmanlike adjutant Yuri Ushakov told journalists Thursday.

Also, Russia’s Foreign Ministry advised overseas embassies and world organizations located successful Kyiv to evacuate their offices successful lawsuit specified a onslaught did return place.

Ukraine’s aerial defense changeable down 92 of nan 102 drones Russia launched overnight, nan subject said.

Russia maintains a important advantage successful drone numbers, regularly deploying hundreds successful a azygous attack.