Russia Fires Over 200 Drones at Ukraine, Zelenskyy Says

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared Tuesday that Russia had deliberately torpedoed a fragile pause in hostilities by unleashing a massive overnight drone offensive, marking what he described as Moscow's conscious decision to abandon the partial ceasefire.

"We have said that we will respond in kind to all Russian steps," Zelenskyy warned on US social media company X.

According to Zelenskyy, the assault comprised more than 200 drones, upwards of 80 aerial bombs, and over 30 separate airstrikes targeting multiple regions simultaneously. Drone interceptions were confirmed over the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as the capital Kyiv and its surrounding area.

The strikes inflicted damage on energy infrastructure, residential apartment buildings, and a kindergarten. A civilian locomotive in the Dnipropetrovsk region was also reported hit.

"People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities," he said, expressing condolences to the victims' families.

Zelenskyy placed the onus for ending the conflict squarely on Moscow, demanding concrete action rather than temporary pauses.

"Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire," he emphasized, calling for stronger sanctions against Moscow until a lasting truce is reached.

Russia's Defense Ministry offered a contrasting battlefield account, stating via Telegram that its forces had intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod, Volgograd, Voronezh, and Rostov regions since midnight. Independent corroboration of claims from either side remains elusive given the active conflict environment.

The flare-up follows the expiration of a three-day ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump, which lapsed at 2100 GMT on Monday. Trump had announced Friday that both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to the May 9–11 truce alongside a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, framing it as a potential stepping stone toward a broader peace settlement.

Prior to Trump's intervention, Russia had declared a unilateral ceasefire spanning May 8–9 to commemorate the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, threatening a "massive" missile response should Victory Day commemorations be disrupted. Kyiv subsequently announced its own ceasefire beginning midnight on May 6 — though both governments promptly accused the other of violations before the ink had dried.

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