Russia ended a temporary ceasefire that had lasted nearly three days and launched overnight strikes against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
“Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days. Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, sharing photographs of the aftermath.
According to Ukrainian authorities and the president, the drones struck multiple regions including Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv, and also hit the capital, Kyiv. Reported hits included a kindergarten, energy infrastructure, a railway and apartment buildings. At least one civilian was killed, officials said.
Russia’s military did not formally acknowledge ending the three-day pause but reported intercepting 27 Ukrainian drones overnight. Both sides accused each other of multiple ceasefire violations during the truce.
The temporary pause in fighting was brokered after talks last week involving Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. The ceasefire coincided with annual World War II anniversary celebrations in Moscow, which were scaled back this year amid economic strains and rising fuel prices that officials have linked to the wider regional tensions.
President Putin has recently suggested the conflict could be drawing to a close and has named controversial former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder to lead possible peace negotiations. The renewed strikes mark a sharp end to the brief lull and raise fresh questions about prospects for a negotiated settlement.
Edited by: Rana Taha