Russia Claims Large Amount of Truce Breaches During Victory Day Truce

(MENAFN) Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of repeatedly violating a temporary ceasefire linked to Victory Day, claiming thousands of incidents involving strikes and drone activity since the truce began.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces allegedly breached the ceasefire 8,970 times after it came into effect at midnight on Friday. Moscow stated that it had instructed its own troops along the front line in Ukraine to suspend combat operations and maintain their positions during the period.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry insisted that Russian forces were continuing to observe the ceasefire. It contrasted this with what it described as ongoing Ukrainian attacks, including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery fire against Russian positions. Russian officials also reported strikes on several regions, including Crimea, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, and areas near Moscow.

The ministry further detailed that, out of the alleged violations, over a thousand involved artillery systems, tanks, mortars, and multiple rocket launchers, while more than 7,000 were attributed to drone strikes. It also stated that Ukrainian forces had carried out a limited number of direct attacks on Russian positions.

In response, Russian forces reportedly conducted retaliatory strikes targeting Ukrainian firing positions, command centers, and drone launch sites, according to the same statement.

The ceasefire was introduced by Moscow earlier in the week as a unilateral two-day pause in fighting to coincide with the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the traditional Victory Day commemorations.

Separately, it was reported that the US president claimed to have spoken with both Russian and Ukrainian leadership about a proposed three-day halt in hostilities from May 9 to May 11, during which both sides would also exchange prisoners of war.

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