The crossfire between Russia and Ukraine escalates despite truce announcements
Kyiv denounces Moscow's attacks on the front during the early morning and responds by launching drones against Russia
BarcelonaThe exchange of attacks between Ukraine and Russia does not cease despite announcements of unilateral truces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced this Friday that Russia has not respected the unilateral two-day truce declared by the Kremlin for today and tomorrow due to the celebration in Moscow of the Soviet victory day over Nazi Germany. Despite Ukraine also having proposed a truce, in this case since Wednesday, attacks from both sides have not ceased for days.
"During the past night, the Russian army has continued attacking Ukrainian positions. By 7 a.m., more than 140 attacks had been documented on the front," Zelensky pointed out, who also denounced ten Russian assaults concentrated mainly on the Sloviansk front, in the Donetsk region, and the launch of nearly a thousand drones.
In response to the attacks, Kyiv has launched drones against industrial facilities in the Russian region of Perm, according to Governor Dmitry Makhonin. Throughout the night, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine would have launched 264 drones against Russia, which have forced the cessation of activity at 13 Russian airports. And as it has done in recent weeks, Kyiv has once again attacked a Russian oil infrastructure, located more than 700 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, in the province of Yaroslavl. Zelensky has taken advantage of the attacks to once again demand that Russia opt for a "genuine peace".
Fear of an attack during the parade
Putin, as he did last year, had proposed a 48-hour ceasefire to mark Victory Day. With a particularly strong attack capability in recent months, the Kremlin fears that a Ukrainian attack would detract from the usual military parade held every May 9 in Moscow.
In an unprecedented gesture in nearly two decades, this Saturday's parade will not feature tanks or missiles because the Kremlin cannot guarantee their safety. The attack on a Moscow skyscraper this week has added nervousness to Russian power circles, concerned that it has been demonstrated once again that the defense systems surrounding the city are not infallible.
Furthermore, several media outlets have pointed out in recent days that the concern in Russian ranks is not just about what might happen during the parade: Putin has feared for months of being a victim of assassination. Even so, the Kremlin has not respected even its own proposal. Moscow had warned Kyiv that if it broke the ceasefire, which in practice has not existed at any time, Russia would respond with a "massive" attack. For now, the Kremlin has responded by launching attacks against several Ukrainian command posts and drone launch sites.
The non-compliance with the announced truce follows a week in which a truce proposal made by Kyiv and which was supposed to start on Wednesday was also not respected. and which was supposed to start on Wednesday. On Tuesday, hours before the truce, Moscow carried out one of the deadliest attacks of the year, with at least 27 dead and 120 injured.