rki.news | Sources: Associated Press
Russian forces launched dozens of drones across Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by Kyiv that took effect at midnight. The attacks marked escalation in long-range aerial warfare between both sides.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Ukraine failed to observe its ceasefire, stating that its air defenses intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, Crimea, and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
In Crimea, Russian-installed authorities said five people were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Dzhankoi. The regional governor reported casualties shortly after midnight.
There was no indication from Moscow that it would observe Kyiv’s ceasefire, with hostilities continuing into the war’s fifth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Previous U.S.-led diplomatic efforts have failed.
Ukrainian officials reported Russian strikes killed civilians and damaged infrastructure, including an attack on a kindergarten in Sumy that killed a security guard and injured two others. No children were present.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said at least 70 civilians have been killed and over 500 injured in recent days, calling the scale of attacks alarming.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is rejecting ceasefire efforts and urged Moscow to end the war and engage in peace talks, while both sides continue drone and missile exchanges along the front line.