Karachi, Pakistan – Web Desk: Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine have killed at least 27 people, just days before a Moscow-declared two-day ceasefire is expected to take effect, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones in the latest wave of attacks, targeting multiple regions and causing widespread destruction.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, at least 12 people were killed after strikes hit a car repair workshop and residential buildings, leaving 20 others injured. In Kramatorsk, located in the eastern Donetsk region, six more people were killed and 12 injured. The central city of Dnipro also reported four fatalities.
Separately, in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions, attacks on state-run gas facilities killed three workers and two emergency responders. The state energy company Naftogaz said the strikes severely disrupted gas supply, cutting off service to around 3,500 customers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, calling them “senseless and brutal,” and accused Russia of continuing its military operations despite announcing a ceasefire.
Russia has declared a ceasefire for May 8–9 to mark World War II Victory Day commemorations. However, Ukraine has rejected the move as insufficient, calling instead for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Ukraine’s air force said most of the incoming drones and several missiles were intercepted, but some still reached their targets, causing significant damage.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities claimed Ukrainian drone strikes also hit Crimea and other regions, resulting in civilian casualties and injuries.
