Russia and Ukraine announce combatting ceasefires, but neither country refrains from attacks

Russia's War on Ukraine saw dramatic updates on May 4 and 5, with both countries announcing unilateral ceasefires while continuing strikes on civilian areas. On May 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire through a statement available in Russia. BUM Interactif has received exclusive translations courtesy of a major Russian watchdog on Telegram. According to the original statement, the ceasefire was declared ‘in honour of the celebration of the Soviet people's victory in the Great Patriotic War'. According to the official statement from the Kremlin, the only reason for the ceasefire is celebration, making the agreement most likely purely ceremonial and certainly geared towards ensuring the safety of Russia's planned celebrations on May 9. In a public statement available to all news outlets, Russia's Defence Minister alleged that while at the European Political Community Summit (EPC) on May 4, Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelenskyy  said that ‘drones would buzz over Red Square.' What the President actually said was ‘It is also possible that Ukrainian drones may appear during the event.”

In the Kremlin's official release, Putin urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to ‘follow suit' and commit to his own ceasefire. The Ukrainian leader obliged and announced a ‘regime of silence' beginning at 00:00 on May 6. The Ukrainian leader made sure to clarify that Ukraine was not agreeing to the ceasefire for Russia's celebrations, but instead for the benefit of human life.

“We believe that human life is of incomparably greater value than the ‘celebration' of any anniversary.”

While Zelenskyy agreed to a ceasefire, he made it clear just how unstable the agreement was, clarifying that Ukraine would be operating in a ‘mirror manner.' The statement confirms that the ceasefire is certainly unilateral and has not been cosigned by each country. It is an unofficial ceasefire. Any action that Russia takes in breach of the agreement, Ukraine will mirror, meaning neither country has agreed to any form of accountability.

A timeline of events

Since Russia's initial announcement on May 4, both countries have continued striking the other, with fatalities coming from both sides. This is a timeline from May 4 to 5 showing each of the breaches.

May 4 – Putin announces ceasefire

At approximately 1:00 PM ET, Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire with Ukraine in hopes of protecting the May 9 parade in Moscow. Putin clarified that his 90-minute phone call with Trump encouraged him to make a public announcement. May 9^th's Victory Day parade was already planned to be scaled down, due to a ‘terrorist threat'.

May 4 – Kremlin attacks Zaporizhzhia

Reported at 1:50 PM ET, Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia, the seventh-biggest city in Ukraine. The attack targeted solely civilian infrastructure. Photos were quickly released of burned-out cars and a semi-demolished residential building.  According to regional ​governor Ivan Fedorov, multiple residential buildings, a car repair service, ‌and ⁠a car wash were damaged in the attack. Ukrainian defence forces confirmed that as of May 5, 12 people were killed and an additional 16 were injured, making it one of the deadliest individual strikes of the four-year war. The attack came less than an hour after Moscow released its ceasefire statement.

May 4 – Zelenskyy announces ‘Regime of peace'

At approximately 2:45 PM ET, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskyy announced that Ukraine would commit to a regime of peace beginning at 00:00 on May 5. Again, Zelenskyy clarified that Ukraine would be operating in a ‘mirror manner', mimicking the actions of the Kremlin. Neither country ceased its attacks overnight on May 5.

May 4 – Russia shoots down drones over Moscow

Unsurprisingly, Ukraine also continued attacks after Putin's statement. The Kremlin reported two drones shot down over the capital, Moscow, and reported at least 13 drones had been shot down over the prior 24 hours. By 3:30 PM ET on May 4, the Russian government had set up outposts manned by armed security forces at all the entrances to the capital. An armoured vehicle was seen at the Kremlin Embankment, and snipers were spotted across the city. Access to the Red Square, where the Victory Day parade will be held, was blocked off and continues to be so.

May 4 (overnight) – Kremlin attacks continue

There were multiple attacks reported overnight on May 4, with several people killed. Two people were injured in a Russian-led attack in Brovary, Kyiv Oblast, overnight, according to local authorities.

May 4 (overnight) – Ukraine attacks Russia

In Russia, missile alerts were declared across three separate regions: Tatarstan, Samara, and Penza Oblasts. Later in the night, missile threats were confirmed in Sverdlovsk and Izhevsk.

An explosion was heard in the Russian city of Kazan, but no damage was reported. Another strike was confirmed in Cheboksary, with the attack sparking a fire in a residential building. Residents of Cheboksary also confirmed explosions and a fire. In Cheboksary, the MTV entertainment centre caught fire, as confirmed by multiple videos from the city. In the same attack, the VNIIR-Progress defence plant in Cheboksary, which is located across the street from the MTV centre, was directly hit by a Ukrainian missile. The plant produces vital Kometa antennas for the Russian army, which protect Russian drones from Ukrainian electronic warfare systems. It also produces satellite GNSS receivers and antennas for Glonass, GPS, and Galileo systems, including Kometa modules, which are used in Shahed-class kamikaze drones, as well as in Iskander-M and Kalibr missiles and UMPK modules for aerial bombs.

According to local authorities, there were no casualties in the overnight attacks.

May 5 (morning) – deadly Russian attack

In the Poltava region, five people were killed, and an additional 37 were injured in drone strikes. Among the dead were two rescuers who were hit when they arrived to extinguish the fire. According to the head of the Poltava Regional Administration, “The attack damaged an industrial facility. 3,480 customers were left without gas. Railroad infrastructure was also damaged.”

According to Mykola Kalashnik, head of the Kyiv Regional Anti-Doping Agency (OVA), one more person was killed in a strike in Brovary, and another in Vyshhorod. An apartment building, four private homes, a gas station, and 11 cars were damaged.

May 5 (morning) – Russia blacks out all telecommunications,

Early on May 5, all mobile communications were shut down in Moscow, affecting ATMs, social media, and other services. The Kremlin did not officially announce the blackout, but multiple sources confirmed it on Telegram. The Kremlin released a statement stating its plans to shut down mobile communications on May 7 from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. and on May 9 from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a practice run of Russia's Victory Day parade on the 7^th, and the parade will take place on the 9^th. The announcement confirms a statement from Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

“If the Russian Ministry of Defence believes that it will not hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine's goodwill, the time has come for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war.”

Constant attacks on May 5, a pointless ceasefire

On May 5, neither country has ceased military action. Hundreds of drones have been shot down over Russia as of 3 PM ET, and Ukraine has reported at least five attacks. Multiple Ukrainian drones have penetrated Russian defences, striking residential buildings and an oil refinery. The latter attack caused a fire that has yet to be extinguished. Russia's strike in Zaporizhzhia is now one of the deadliest of the conflict, with the death toll breaching 35 people. May 6 has been declared a day of mourning in the region. Five more were killed in a strike in Kramatorsk, Donbas.

With neither country signing a ceasefire agreement and Russia implementing its ceasefire solely in hopes of protecting its victory day parade, the last 48 hours have been nothing more than posturing from either side. The Ukraine war is not approaching its end.