Egypt Daily News – Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a three-day ceasefire from May 7 to 9, describing the offer as a “theatrical gesture.” The Ukrainian president emphasized that any ceasefire should last no less than 30 days.
In a press conference reported by Interfax-Ukraine, Zelensky said:
“The simple problem is that they kill you until May 7, then take a break for two or three days, and on the 11th they come back to attack us with missiles. I don’t see that as an offer.”
He proposed a ceasefire of at least 30 days:
“An unconditional ceasefire is the model proposed by the Americans, and we support it. Whether it begins on that date or earlier, yes, let’s try for 30 days. Why 30 days? Because it’s impossible to agree on anything in three, five, or seven days.”
Zelensky also said he could not guarantee the safety of world leaders attending the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9:
“Our position is very simple: we tell all countries traveling to Russia on May 9 that we cannot be responsible for what happens on Russian territory. They provide you security, so we offer no guarantees. Because we don’t know what Russia might do on that date. They could take various actions, arson, explosions, and so on. And then they’ll blame us.”
Meanwhile, Russian military authorities claimed that southern Russia was subjected to a large-scale attack by Kyiv. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 170 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and annexed Crimea overnight. Additionally, 14 Ukrainian unmanned boats were destroyed in the Black Sea, along with eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles and three Neptune-MD guided missiles.
The Novorossiysk region was the hardest hit. Krasnodar Governor declared a state of emergency in the city. The head of the city administration, Andrey Kravchenko, reported five casualties, including two children, after a Ukrainian drone strike damaged three houses. According to Veniamin Kondratyev, three grain terminal tanks were also damaged, causing a fire, though no injuries were reported. Public transportation in the city was suspended. Other cities hit by drone attacks included Anapa, Taman, Slavyansk, and On Kuban.
Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar reported that drones launched by Kyiv were also shot down over Novoshakhtinsk, Kamensk, Oktyabrsky, Ust-Donetsky, and Tselinsky.
Russian Airstrikes on Ukraine
In retaliation, Ukraine came under several drone attacks. According to Russia’s Air Force, Moscow launched 183 assault drones, of which 77 were intercepted, while 73 reportedly crashed or malfunctioned.
Ukrainian air defense repelled attacks in Kyiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. In Mykolaiv, eight drones targeting industrial infrastructure were shot down, with no reported injuries, according to regional governor Vitalii Kim.
Kharkiv
The death toll from a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv has risen to 51, including two children. Local authorities said four neighborhoods were targeted, leading to fires and damage to residential buildings, educational institutions, cars, businesses, and shops.
According to the regional prosecutor’s office, the Russian military used drones equipped with thermobaric warheads, which generate powerful explosions and intense heat clouds, causing widespread destruction.
