1 killed as Russia strikes Ukraine on first day of self-declared ceasefire

One person was killed early Thursday in Russian attacks in northeast Ukraine, in the opening hours of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Another two people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided air bombs in the northeast Sumy region.

The bombs were dropped on residential areas near the border, the regional prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Ukraine's Air Force alerted launches of glide bombs and at least one missile in the Sumy region starting at 02:39 am and until early morning on Thursday.

Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, were not recorded since 8:30 pm the previous night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

 

The ceasefire came into force at midnight on Thursday Moscow time.

But smaller-scale Russian attacks persisted elsewhere in the country closer to the frontline, causing civilian casualties.

A 55-year-old woman was killed in her home in Mykolaivka community in Sumy region around 3 am, and her 24-year-old son was wounded, prosecutors said. Roughly 30 minutes later, another bomb hit civilian infrastructure in Vorozhba community, injuring a 70-year-old woman. An investigation into war crimes has been launched, officials said.

Russia announced a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the celebrations in Moscow for the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Russia's biggest secular holiday.

Kyiv has pressed for a longer-term ceasefire.

In March, the United States proposed a 30-day truce in the war, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for ceasefire terms more to its liking.