Key developments on April 28:
- Putin announces 3-day truce on Victory Day's 80th anniversary
- Trump says he believes Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Russia
- Russia demands recognition of Crimea, other Ukrainian regions' annexation in any peace talks
- Drones reportedly strike Russian plant producing parts for missiles, radars
- Ukraine loses Su-27 fighter jet repelling Russian drone attack, Air Force says
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a so-called "humanitarian" truce in the war against Ukraine to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the Kremlin said on April 28.
The ceasefire will be in effect from midnight on May 8 until midnight on May 11, according to the Kremlin's statement. "During this period, all military actions will cease. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example," the statement read.
The announcement comes as Moscow continues to reject Kyiv's demand for a full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a broader peace deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, urging Putin to "sit down and sign a deal." U.S. officials have previously threatened to walk away from the peace efforts unless progress is reached soon.
The Kremlin claimed that Russia remains ready for "peace negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions" and expressed willingness for "constructive engagement" with international partners.
Russia celebrates the end of World War II in Europe on May 9, marking the occasion with pompous military parades. Most other European nations, including Ukraine, mark May 8 as Victory in Europe Day.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia must immediately cease fire if it wants a truce.
"If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8th? If the fire can be ceased now and since any date for 30 days — so it is real, not just for a parade," Sybiha wrote in a post on X.
"Ukraine is ready to support a lasting, durable, and full ceasefire. And this is what we are constantly proposing, for at least 30 days," he added.
Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, questioned why Moscow does not instead declare a "full and comprehensive ceasefire."
"Anything that is not a comprehensive ceasefire is Russian manipulation for informational and military purposes, an attempt to hide its intent to continue the war," Kovalenko said after Putin's announcement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to Putin's announcement, highlighting that Trump seeks a permanent ceasefire.
"I understand that Vladimir Putin offered a temporary ceasefire this morning. (President Trump) has made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first to stop the killing, stop the bloodshed. And while he remains optimistic he can strike a deal, he's also being realistic as well," Leavitt said.
"Both leaders need to come to the table to negotiate their way out. And I think that the president's meeting with President Zelensky (on April 26) shows that he is exuding a lot of effort and time into this because he wants to be a peacemaker president, which he was in his first term. He intends to do that again," she added.
The Victory Day ceasefire is the latest in a series of truce initiatives announced by Moscow, which it has itself repeatedly 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 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.
Asami Terajima
Trump says he believes Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 27 that he thinks President Volodymyr Zelensky is prepared to give up Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace agreement, despite Kyiv's consistent rejection of similar proposals.
When asked whether he thought Zelensky was willing to cede the peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, Trump responded: "I think so."
Earlier this week, Trump accused Zelensky of undermining negotiations after the Ukrainian president rejected recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea as part of a potential peace agreement.
On April 22, Zelensky rejected the reported U.S. proposal to recognize Russia's claim to Crimea, saying, "There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution."
Zelensky warned that any discussion of Crimea risks shifting negotiations into a framework dictated by the Kremlin. He said such proposals play directly into Russian President Vladimir Putin's "game."
Article 2 of Ukraine's constitution states that sovereignty "extends throughout its entire territory," which "within its present border is indivisible and inviolable." Any change in Ukraine's territory must be decided in a nationwide referendum authorized by the Ukrainian parliament.
Trump also voiced frustration with Russia and urged Putin to stop attacks and finalize a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
"Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal," Trump told reporters when asked about his expectations for Putin. "We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it," he added, signaling growing impatience as negotiations stall.
Trump's comments came after Russia launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv in nine months, with missile and drone strikes killing 12 people and injuring 90, including six children. "I was very disappointed that missiles were flying, (fired) by Russia," Trump said.
Chris York
Russia demands recognition of Crimea, other Ukrainian regions' annexation in any peace talks
Russia insists on the international recognition of its hold over Crimea, as well as the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, as a condition for peace negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Brazilian news outlet O Globo published on April 28.
This demand, reinforced last week by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, underscores how Russia continues to push its maximalist demands despite U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal.
Russia illegally declared the four Ukrainian oblasts as annexed in 2022 following widely condemned sham referenda, but it does not fully control the territories. Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014, was also included in Moscow's territorial claims.
The U.S. is reportedly considering a de jure recognition of Russia's control over Crimea as part of a potential peace deal and de facto control over other occupied territories. At the same time, U.S. officials are said to have rejected a demand for Ukraine's complete withdrawal from the other four regions.
Asked about Russia's conditions to enter peace talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also named a ban on Ukraine's entry into NATO, the country's demilitarization, and changes to Ukraine's legislation that would restore the position of the Russian language, culture, and religious organizations.
These conditions are effectively the same as the initial demands raised by Moscow at the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Natalia Yermak
Lavrov also said that Ukraine's ban on direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin must be lifted. Previously, the Kremlin said that Putin would be ready to enter talks with Kyiv without "any preconditions" once this restriction was removed, seemingly contradicting Lavrov's later statements.
Ukraine has ruled out ceding its territory as part of any peace agreement, and both Kyiv and its allies have rejected demands for a reduction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"All of Kyiv's commitments must be legally guaranteed, have enforcement mechanisms, and be permanent," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also demands the lifting of Western sanctions, the abolition of international lawsuits and arrest warrants against Russian officials, and the return of frozen Russian assets.
Western governments have already begun using money linked to those assets to support Ukraine. In October 2024, the Group of Seven (G7) approved nearly $50 billion in loans for Kyiv, to be repaid using interest earned on frozen Russian funds.
Additionally, Lavrov said Moscow would demand "reliable security guarantees" from NATO, the European Union, and their member states against supposed future threats on Russia's western borders.
Lavrov said Russia remains open to negotiations but claimed "the ball is not on our side," accusing Kyiv of lacking "political will for peace." He also said that the U.S. "has begun to better understand" Russia's positions, hinting at the foreign policy shift brought about by U.S. President Donald Trump.
It has been more than 45 days since Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire first introduced in March. Moscow rejected the plan, demanding a complete halt to Western military aid to Ukraine.
Despite claiming to support de-escalation, Russia has continued offensive operations along the front lines. Moscow has also intensified its attacks on civilian infrastructure, most recently killing 13 people in an attack on Kyiv on April 24.
Meanwhile, a separate partial ceasefire covering Ukraine's energy infrastructure, brokered during talks in Saudi Arabia in late March, has also been repeatedly violated.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Russia has breached the energy truce more than 30 times since it came into effect on March 25, targeting critical power infrastructure across the country.
Andrea Januta
Drones reportedly strike Russian plant producing parts for missiles, radars
An overnight drone strike targeted a key Russian electronics plant in the city of Bryansk, Russian Telegram channels and a Ukrainian official claimed on April 28.
Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed that Ukrainian forces launched a "massive attack" against the region, with Russian air defenses allegedly intercepting and destroying 102 drones.
"Unidentified" drones targeted the Kremniy-El plant, a major facility specializing in microelectronics for Russia's military-industrial complex, said Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Russian Telegram channels supported this assertion, which was not confirmed by local authorities.
The plant produces components for missile systems such as the Topol-M, Bulava, and Iskander, as well as for radars, electronic warfare systems, drones, and the onboard electronics of military aircraft, according to Russian open sources.
Images and videos posted on Telegram showed fires burning in parts of the city overnight, with residents reporting flashes in the sky.
Local media reported at least 10 to 15 explosions in Bryansk, with damage to civilian infrastructure, vehicles, and residential buildings. Bogomaz claimed that one civilian was killed and another injured in the attacks.
Ukrainian forces have not yet commented on the attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Bryansk lies around 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial facilities in the rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war.
Ukraine loses Su-27 fighter jet repelling Russian drone attack, Air Force says
Ukraine lost a Su-27 fighter jet while it was repelling a Russian drone attack and providing air support to ground troops on the morning of April 28, Ukraine's Air Force reported.
The pilot ejected and is receiving medical attention, according to the statement. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
The Su-27, also known under the NATO code name "Flanker," is a highly maneuverable Soviet-era air superiority fighter used by both Ukraine and Russia.
Throughout the war, Ukraine has rarely reported losses of its fighter jets and other military equipment targeted by Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow periodically claims to have carried out strikes on Ukrainian airfields, which cannot be independently verified.
In mid-April, Pavlo Ivanov, a 26-year-old Ukrainian F-16 pilot, was killed during a combat mission. Ivanov's death marks the second F-16 pilot loss for Ukraine since receiving these jets, following Oleksii Mes's death last August.
Russia has lost over 370 planes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on April 28. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these figures.
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Chris York
