Russia and Ukraine both say the other broke the ceasefire after World War II
Russia and Ukraine both say the other broke the Victory Day ceasefire during World War II, but fighting and drone strikes are still going on.
Even though Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a unilateral halt on Victory Day to honor the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Russian and Ukrainian forces kept attacking each other with drones, missiles, and artillery on Friday.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has been going on for four years and is still the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Both sides are accusing the other of trying to break the suggested truce.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that overnight, its air defense systems stopped 264 Ukrainian drones. Officials reported that attacks targeted Moscow and the Perm region in the Ural Mountains.
Moscow said that despite the truce, Ukrainian forces were still attacking Russian troop positions and civilian infrastructure in the border areas of Belgorod and Kursk.
In return, Ukraine did not believe Russia’s claims of restraint. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russian troops had kept attacking Ukrainian sites all night, saying that Moscow had not done “even the smallest thing” to stop the fighting.
Zelenskiy said that Ukraine would keep fighting back against Russian strikes and protecting its people and land.
There are more worries about safety before Saturday’s Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, which is one of Russia’s most important military events every year. Russia told Ukraine that if they tried to stop the celebrations, they would be hit with many missiles.
Moscow has told foreign diplomats to leave Ukraine if there are attacks during the event.
Concerns about possible Ukrainian attacks have led to a lot more strict security around the Kremlin and in downtown Moscow. Russian police and military patrols have deployed in key areas, and many metro stops will close during the celebrations.
President Putin’s security has increased due to fears of a coup or assassination attempt, according to Western media. However, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said that the situation is normal practice during big national holidays.
Historians estimate that the Soviet Union lost approximately 27 million people during World War II. Millions of them were from Ukraine, and the losses stopped when Soviet troops took Berlin in 1945.
There will likely be fewer military shows at this year’s Victory Day parade because of worries about possible attacks from Ukraine.
The Kremlin has been using the annual event more and more to get people to support the war in Ukraine, even though the long conflict has put a lot of stress on Russian companies and society, with frequent internet outages and stricter security measures.
Peace talks have been going on for a while now, but they haven’t moved forward because Ukraine won’t give up land that Russia took during the attack.
