Russia Resumes Ukraine War After 3-Day Truce Ends

(MENAFN) Russia announced Tuesday that its military has resumed full combat operations in Ukraine after a short-lived ceasefire expired Monday night, with both sides trading accusations of violations throughout the truce period.

In an official statement, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed Moscow had "strictly observed" the truce beginning May 8 while accusing Ukraine of committing 30,383 ceasefire violations.

The ministry alleged that Ukrainian forces launched 5,825 drones on Monday alone and that Russia "responded in kind."

"Despite the declared ceasefire, Ukrainian armed forces carried out strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles and fired artillery at Russian troop positions," said in the statement published on Russian social media Max.

Kyiv pushed back sharply. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of being the first to abandon the pause in fighting, citing over 200 Russian drones launched overnight.

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

Neither side's claims could be independently verified due to active wartime conditions on the ground.

The collapsed truce had been brokered by US President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that both Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to a May 9–11 ceasefire alongside a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange — framing it as a potential stepping stone toward a broader peace deal. The truce officially expired at 2100GMT Monday.

Prior to Trump's intervention, the Kremlin had unilaterally declared a ceasefire over May 8–9 to commemorate the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Nazi Germany, warning Ukraine of a "massive" missile response if Victory Day ceremonies were disrupted. Kyiv followed, announcing it would honor a ceasefire starting May 6.

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