'Putin only cares about parades' — Russia violated Kyiv-proposed May 6 ceasefire 1,820 times, Ukraine says
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Russia violated Kyiv's proposed ceasefire which started at midnight a total of 1,820 times by 10 a.m. local time, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 6.
Zelensky's statement comes after he said on May 4 that Ukraine would declare a ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 6, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a temporary two-day "Victory Day ceasefire" on May 8–9.
Moscow had not agreed to Kyiv's proposed ceasefire, which was set to start on May 6. Zelensky argued that his proposed timeframe would be enough to test whether a genuine pause in fighting could take hold.
The violations, Zelensky said, include Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, attempted assaults, and drone strikes. Russia launched deadly strikes across Ukraine over the past day, particularly targeting Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine with two ballistic missiles, a Kh-31 air-to-surface missile, and 108 drones of various types, including Shahed, overnight, the Air Force said on May 6. It reported downing 89 drones over northern and eastern Ukraine, while the rest struck eight undisclosed locations.
Moscow has also accused Kyiv of breaching its own ceasefire. Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said Ukraine had launched attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia's Bryansk Oblast, Kremlin-controlled news agency TASS cited him as saying on May 6.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted or downed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Moscow oblasts, as well as over the occupied Crimea and over the Black Sea.
Kyiv has not reacted to Moscow's accusation at the time of publication. Zelensky has not commented on whether Ukraine withheld its own ceasefire on the battlefield and elsewhere.
Zelensky said Russia has already carried out nearly 30 assault operations on key sectors of the front since midnight on May 6, as well as deploying over 70 guided aerial bombs (KABs) overnight and this morning.
"Russia's choice is a clear rejection of peace and the preservation of life," Zelensky said in a Telegram post on May 6.
The Foreign Ministry also denounced Moscow's inability to hold a ceasefire.
"Moscow once again ignored a realistic and fair call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organizations," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X on May 6.
"This shows that Russia rejects peace and its fake calls for a ceasefire on May 9th have nothing to do with diplomacy," he said.
"Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives."
