One person was killed and two were wounded in Russian strikes in northeastern Ukraine today, in the first hours of a 72-hour ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian officials said.
The prosecutor's office in Ukraine's Sumy region said Russian forces had dropped guided bombs on residential areas near the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian military said at least one missile had hit the Sumy region by early morning.
Moscow has unilaterally declared a ceasefire during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Russia's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the biggest secular holiday in Russia, while Kiev is demanding a longer-term ceasefire.
Russian missile and drone attacks, which have been an almost daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, have not been recorded since 20.30:XNUMX p.m. last night, the Ukrainian military said, adding that smaller-scale Russian attacks continued in other parts of Ukraine closer to the front line, and that there were civilian casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Russia's declaration of a ceasefire as "manipulation" at a time when US efforts to achieve peace are failing.
The US proposed a 30-day ceasefire in the war in March, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin stuck to its terms for the ceasefire.
Russian officials said drone warnings were issued in the Belgorod, Lipetsk, Orenburg, Ryazan and Tambov regions overnight, but there were no reports of any drones being shot down or intercepted. Russia's civil aviation authority briefly imposed restrictions on flights to and from Nizhny Novgorod airport.
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