Ukrainian drone attacks shut Moscow airports, while Russian drone kills one in Odesa

Published 1 week ago• 3 minute read

, where Russian officials say three people were killed overnight in Ukrainian strikes.

Ukraine says some of its forces are still active inside Kursk, nine months after a surprise incursion there by Ukrainian troops.

Separately, one person was killed in a drone attack on the southern city of Odesa, authorities say, and four were wounded in the eastern city of Kharkiv, in an attack using Shahed drones.

by the US. And Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted in recent days this deal could still be implemented at "any moment" - but Russia has so far failed to agree to the terms.

"We believe that a ceasefire is possible at any moment, even starting today, and should last at least 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance," Zelensky said on Sunday while visiting the Czech president.

But Zelensky threw cold water on Vladimir Putin's proposed three-day ceasefire, set to come into effect on 8 May, denouncing it as a "theatrical show".

Seventy-two hours, Zelensky suggested, would not provide enough time to settle the conflict.

Decorations in Moscow are seen — Image caption,
Decorations have been going up in Moscow as the country commemorates the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany

The attacks in Russia and Ukraine come just two days before a ceasefire in Ukraine - unilaterally announced by Russia last month - is due to begin.

The ceasefire is set to run between 8 May and 11 May - overlapping with Russia commemorating Victory Day.

Unlike Britain, France and the US - which celebrate VE (Victory in Europe) Day on 8 May - Russia commemorates Nazi Germany's surrender the following day, as Germany officially signed the document by the time it was 9 May in Russia.

The huge parade of weapons and tanks in Moscow's Red Square has long been seen as a chance for the Kremlin to put its military might on display.

The event typically draws high-level guests - but Ukraine's president warned at the weekend that he couldn't guarantee the security of foreign officials planning to attend the parade on Friday.

Last month, both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of breaching a 30-hour Easter ceasefire announced by Putin. And as our next post explains, Ukraine has dismissed the ceasefire due to begin on Thursday.

We've just had another update from Kursk, where the regional governor Alexander Khinshtein now says three people have been killed in Ukrainian "attacks" in Kursk.

In a translated social media update, Khinshtein says "seven people were taken to the hospital" after Ukrainian attacks, while "three more were killed".

He also says Ukrainian drone strikes injured civilians in the Glushkovsky district near the border - it's unclear whether this was part of the same attack.

Kyiv is yet to comment.

The north-eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine was hit overnight by Russian drone attacks. Among the places hit was the Barabashovo market in the city of Kharkiv, most of which burned down overnight: