Russia has said it intercepted drones bound for Moscow after warning of a potential retaliatory strike on Kiev despite a two-day unilateral ceasefire it declared around its World War 2 victory holiday.
Ukraine had blasted Russia’s temporary truce as a propaganda measure to protect the victory parade on Friday — one of the most important patriotic events for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Hours before Russia’s ceasefire began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned allies of Russia against attending the parade.
“We have also received messages from some states close to Russia, saying that their representatives plan to be in Moscow… A strange desire… in these days. We do not recommend it,” Zelenskyy said.
“They want from Ukraine a permit to hold their parade so that they can go out onto the square safely for one hour once a year, and then go on killing,” the Ukrainian leader added.
Zelenskyy had earlier proposed a counter-truce from May 6 that has gone unheeded.
With Moscow doubling down on its attacks on Ukraine in the last days, Kiev has struck back.
Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had destroyed almost 350 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Another 20 were intercepted in the two hours after Moscow’s truce began, according to a series of updates by city mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Russian social media Max.
The Russian defence ministry had, in turn, urged residents and diplomats to leave Kiev, threatening a potential retaliatory strike in case of a Ukrainian attack during its ceasefire.
“We remind the civilian population of Kiev and staff at foreign diplomatic missions once again of the need to leave the city in good time,” the ministry said in a statement.
That followed a similar warning by the foreign ministry issued late on Wednesday, calling on diplomats to evacuate.
