Overview
- Ukraine declared an open-ended ceasefire starting at midnight Wednesday local time, and officials said Russia broke it with a night of attacks that included about 108 drones and three rockets.
- Following Tuesday’s deadly barrages that killed more than 20 civilians in cities such as Zaporizhzhia and Kramatorsk, authorities reported new strikes by morning in regions including Sumy, where a woman died in a drone attack on a car.
- The Kremlin kept to a limited pause tied to May 8–9, and its Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 53 Ukrainian drones over Russia and occupied Crimea, where officials reported five deaths in Dzhankoi before the ceasefire start time.
- Kyiv expanded long‑range strikes inside Russia, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming a hit on the Kirishi oil refinery that sources told Reuters halted operations and with reports of a weapons plant struck in Cheboksary.
- European intelligence reporting says the Kremlin has tightened personal security for President Vladimir Putin around the holiday period, with added screenings and air defenses, signaling concern over external attacks and internal stability.