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Russian forces launched a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least 21 people in the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kramatorsk, and Dnipro.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the “utter cynicism” of the attacks, which occurred just hours before a Ukrainian-proposed ceasefire was set to begin.
Seven people are currently in hospitals after being injured in the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia, while some others are still undergoing the necessary medical examinations. A total of 37 people have been affected. It was a guided aerial bomb attack that directly targeted the… pic.twitter.com/TZG0rafZ8x
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 5, 2026
The strikes were the deadliest in several weeks and left at least 70 others wounded.
The most severe casualties were reported in Zaporizhzhia, where 12 civilians were killed in an assault Zelenskyy claimed had no military purpose. Additionally, four people died in Dnipro and five were killed in the centre of Kramatorsk.
Meanwhile, Russian officials in annexed Crimea reported that Ukrainian drone strikes killed five civilians early Wednesday.
This escalation comes as Russia prepares for its May 9 Victory Day parade, for which it has requested a ceasefire.
Ukraine countered with a proposal to halt fire starting May 6, but officials noted that Moscow showed no signs of de-escalation.
Amid the violence, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call to discuss the war.
However, specific details of the conversation were not released.
