Dozens of Ukrainian drones target Moscow, mayor says, amid overnight attack on Russia
LONDON -- Russia's Defense Ministry reported a major Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Thursday morning, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reporting that dozens of Ukrainian craft were intercepted while flying toward the capital.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its forces intercepted at least 427 Ukrainian drones and through Thursday morning. Moscow only publishes the number of Ukrainian drones and other projectiles it claims to have intercepted.
Sobyanin said that as of Thursday afternoon, at least 50 drones were shot down while flying toward the capital. Emergency responders, he said in posts to Telegram, were responding to several sites where falling drone debris was reported.
Ukraine's air force said that Russia also continued its long-range attacks overnight. The air force said on Telegram that Moscow launched 102 drones into the country overnight, of which 92 were intercepted or suppressed. Eight drones impacted across six locations, the air force said.
Ukraine's State Emergency Services said that at least four people were injured by Russian strikes in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, one other person was injured by a Russian attack in the northeastern Sumy region and seven people -- among them two children -- were injured in Kharkiv.
Cross-border attacks have continued despite both Kyiv and Moscow announcing their own rival temporary ceasefires.
Russian President Vladimir Putin this week announced a unilateral truce on May 8 and May 9 to coincide with annual "Victory Day" celebrations, which mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Zelenskyy then said Ukraine would observe its own 24-hour ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 5. Russia did not partake in the truce, continuing missile and drone strikes across Ukraine as well as frontline activities.
Zelenskyy said in a Wednesday statement, "We can confirm that the Russian side has derailed the ceasefire regime," adding that Kyiv would decide on possible subsequent actions.
"Ukraine clearly stated that it would act in kind, taking into account Russia's persistent appeals through the media and social networks asking for a ceasefire during the Moscow parade," Zelenskyy said, referring to the planned military event in Moscow's Red Square on May 9.
Russia's Defense Ministry warned that it would "launch a retaliatory, massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv" if Ukraine attacked the Victory Day celebrations.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy again criticized Moscow's continued attacks. "Russia continues killing people while being completely irrationally concerned only about a few hours of silence in one part of Moscow," he said in a statement, referring to the May 9 celebrations.
"Ukraine will act fairly -- day by day. We proposed silence beginning at midnight on May 6. Yesterday and today, this regime has been violated by Russia," Zelenskyy added.
"In a mirror response and in reply to Russian strikes, our long-range sanctions will follow; in response to Russia's readiness to move toward diplomacy, we will move along the path of diplomacy," he added.
