Overview
- Following Tuesday’s deadly strikes that officials said killed at least 27 people across multiple Ukrainian cities, Ukraine’s open‑ended pause began at midnight Wednesday with Kyiv accusing Russia of immediate violations and pledging to respond “symmetrically.”
- Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 108 attack drones and three missiles overnight and reported 89 drones neutralized as fresh strikes hit Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Sumy.
- Russia said its air defenses downed 53 Ukrainian drones over several regions, occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, and Moscow‑installed authorities in Dzhankoi reported five civilian deaths.
- Regional officials in Russia’s Chuvashia reported two people killed and more than 30 injured in a Ukrainian strike hundreds of miles from the border, highlighting deeper cross‑border reach by Kyiv.
- With Victory Day approaching, Russia is scaling back its May 9 parade and restricting mobile internet in Moscow, underscoring how the commemoration has become a stage for security moves and wartime messaging.