Ukraine has accused Russia of bombing the Sumy region during a declared three-day ceasefire. Despite Russia’s truce coinciding with World War II anniversary events, Ukraine rejected it as a farce, offering a 30-day ceasefire instead. Tensions remain high, with air alerts issued in Ukraine's eastern regions and continued attacks from both sides.

Ukraine has accused Russia of bombing the Sumy region following the start of a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia. The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Thursday that Russian aircraft launched guided bombs on Sumy, a region in northern Ukraine, three times after midnight local time (21:00 GMT), shortly after the ceasefire declared by Vladimir Putin went into effect on May 8.

This ceasefire, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, was announced by the Kremlin, which described it as a measure to “test” Ukraine’s willingness to pursue peace. However, Ukraine has dismissed this ceasefire as a farce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has not committed to observing the truce, reaffirmed Ukraine's offer of a 30-day ceasefire. He stated in his nightly address on Wednesday that Ukraine’s proposal remained open, emphasizing that it was an opportunity for diplomacy to prevail. Zelenskyy added that Russia had not responded to the 30-day ceasefire offer and instead had continued its attacks. The United States, which has been pressuring both countries to reach a peace agreement, initially proposed the 30-day ceasefire in March. However, Moscow insisted that any such ceasefire could only occur once mechanisms for enforcement were established, later proposing the three-day ceasefire as a “humanitarian” gesture.

In addition to the two guided bomb launches, Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that no Russian long-range drones or missiles were reported to have been launched at Ukrainian cities on Thursday. Despite this, Ukraine declared an air alert across its seven eastern regions, citing concerns that Russia may still use ballistic missiles during the ceasefire. The Ukrainian Air Force also noted that the Kremlin’s forces had pledged to honor Putin’s order for the duration of the ceasefire, but would respond “immediately” if Ukraine were to launch any attacks.

In the context of the anniversary commemorations, Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other international leaders in Moscow and will oversee a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9.

Just hours before Putin’s ceasefire was set to begin, both Moscow and Kyiv engaged in aerial strikes, leading to airport closures in Russia and resulting in at least two fatalities in Ukraine. In his address, Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine’s targeting of Russian sites as the World War II commemorations neared, stating, “It is absolutely fair that Russian skies, the skies of the aggressor, are also not calm today, in a mirror-like way.”