Zelensky says Ukraine will respond to Russia’s ceasefire violations with ‘long-range sanctions’
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 7 that Ukraine would respond to Russia’s repeated ceasefire violations with "long-range sanctions," referring to Ukrainian long-range strikes deep inside Russia.
Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8-9 ahead of its annual Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Ukraine responded by proposing its own ceasefire starting at midnight on May 6. Zelensky later said Russia violated the Ukrainian-proposed ceasefire 1,820 times by the morning of May 6, only hours after it took effect.
In the statement, Zelensky said Russia continued attacking Ukraine, accusing the Kremlin of caring only about "a few hours of silence" in Moscow during the celebrations while continuing to kill Ukrainian civilians.
"Russia continues to kill people and is completely inadequately concerned only about a few hours of silence in one part of Moscow," Zelensky said.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 13 people and injured 54 more overnight on May 7, according to local authorities. In Sumy Oblast, where five people were killed, officials declared May 7 a day of mourning.
Zelensky added that Russia launched nearly 100 attack drones overnight, carried out dozens of assaults on key front-line sectors, and conducted multiple air strikes.
The attacks damaged civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kherson oblasts. Russia also struck locomotives and railway infrastructure in several regions while continuing attacks against Ukraine’s energy system.
Ukraine would respond "symmetrically" to Russian strikes and remain open to diplomacy if Russia takes "real steps" toward ending the war, Zelensky added.
Later on May 7, Zelensky said Ukraine had struck targets in the Russian city of Perm, more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the Ukrainian border. He also mentioned recent strikes in Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Novorossiysk, and Tuapse, deep inside Russia.
"Every day Russia can choose to stop its war. And not for a few hours to get permission for a parade in Moscow, but to save human lives," he said.
Russia has repeatedly violated temporary ceasefires proposed during the war, often tied to religious or symbolic dates. During the Orthodox Easter truce in April, Russia violated the ceasefire 10,721 times over 32 hours, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
