Extract from ABC News
3 hours ago
Security in Moscow has been beefed up ahead of the city's commemoration of Victory Day. (Reuters)
In short:
Ukraine has launched its second-biggest drone assault on Russia since war broke out in February 2022.
Air defences downed 347 Ukrainian drones across 20 Russian regions overnight, with further drone attacks also disrupting flights in Moscow.
What's next?
The Kremlin has ordered mobile internet access in Moscow to be switched off for Victory Day commemorations on Saturday.
Ukraine has launched a major drone attack on numerous Russian regions as tensions mount between the two countries over ceasefire plans for Russia's upcoming Victory Day celebrations.
The assault came after Moscow disregarded Kyiv's proposal of a ceasefire that was meant to begin on Tuesday, local time, and launched a fresh round of attacks.
Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that the country's air defences had shot down 347 Ukrainian drones overnight in 20 different regions, including in Moscow.
That represented Ukraine's second-biggest aerial attack of the war so far, after a similar-scale drone assault in March.
Dozens more drones were also launched during the day, the Kremlin said, with nearly 100 flights in and out of Moscow's three major airports delayed or cancelled by midday.
The attacks came ahead of Russia's most important secular holiday, Victory Day, which marks the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Russian authorities have declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday. Ukraine responded to that with its own suspension of hostilities from midnight Tuesday, local time.
The Kremlin has declared a pause in fighting over the weekend for Victory Day. (Reuters: Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel)
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow disregarded the goodwill gesture and launched fresh attacks.
"Russia has not stopped any type of its military activity. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Ukraine will act symmetrically," Mr Zelenskyy said in his regular evening video address.
He said on X that Russia's attacks have been ceaseless, with drones, missiles, artillery shelling and glide bombs hitting civilian areas of Ukraine, including the power grid and rail network.
In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest, a drone strike wounded nine people, including three children, local officials said.
Mobile internet shut off for Victory Day
Tension has grown as Russia's Victory Day celebrations approach and US-led peace efforts gain no traction.
Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, was in the United States on Thursday and preparing to meet with Trump administration representatives, according to Mr Zelenskyy.
All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be shut down in the Russian capital on May 9, state media is reporting, citing the country's Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
Russia is marking of the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II this weekend. (Reuters: Anastasia Barashkova)
A traditional parade in Moscow will not feature the usual tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades.
The Russian Defense Ministry cited the "current operational situation" as a reason for excluding military equipment.
Russian authorities say they are concerned about possible Ukrainian attacks, as Kyiv has expanded its long-range drone and missile capabilities.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that additional security measures were being taken due to the "rather complex operational situation".
Concerns about attacks on Victory Day have prompted authorities to deploy increased patrols across Moscow. (Reuters)
The measures being taken "are necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, which is an absolute priority," Mr Peskov told reporters.
Among the foreign dignitaries expected to attend the Victory Day ceremonies on Saturday are Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was to meet with Mr Putin and lay flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier but stay away from the parade.
Russia repeated its recent warnings to Ukraine that it would take decisive action — including a potential mass strike on Kyiv — if Ukrainian attacks disrupt the occasion.
"We have strengthened our focus on the possibility of retaliatory measures," presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists.
AP
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