Ukrainian forces faced 117 combat clashes across the front line on the first day of Russia’s self-declared Victory Day “humanitarian ceasefire,” the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 8.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day. The General Staff said that most battles occurred in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian troops launched 41 assaults on the Pokrovsk front alone.
Pokrovsk, located about 70 kilometers northwest of occupied Donetsk, remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front, where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March.
Clashes also took place near Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk, and Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, while Russian troops continued attacks around Siversk, Torske, and in Kharkiv Oblast. Border settlements in Sumy Oblast suffered from shelling and guided bomb strikes.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian regional authorities reported at least seven civilian deaths and 31 injuries over the past 24 hours across Ukraine. Some of the attacks took place after the start of Moscow’s unilaterally declared truce. Russian strikes targeted homes, vehicles, and public spaces in Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
The Victory Day truce is the latest in a series of ceasefire initiatives announced by Moscow, all of which Russia has violated.
Earlier this month, Russia declared a ceasefire over the Easter holiday, though President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of nearly 3,000 violations between April 19 and April 21. Ukraine has also said that Russian forces repeatedly breached a partial truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the U.S. on March 25.
Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands. Kyiv has dismissed these declarations as a propaganda stunt, noting that Russian forces have only intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
