KYIV/MOSCOW — Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of continuing attacks despite a declared ceasefire.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces had carried out more than 1,300 ceasefire violations involving drones, artillery attacks on border regions, adding that Russian forces had responded symmetrically with retaliatory strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces continued overnight attacks along the frontline and launched hundreds of drone strikes, adding that Ukraine would respond in kind.
In a post on X, Zelensky said that as of 7 am local time (0400 GMT), Russia had carried out more than 140 strikes and 10 assaults on Ukraine's positions along the frontline.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike on the administrative building of the Southern Russia Air Navigation branch disrupted operations at 13 airports across southern Russia, the Russian Ministry of Transport said Friday.
Operations at the regional air traffic control center in Rostov-on-Don, which manages air traffic across southern Russia, were temporarily adjusted after the strike, the ministry said in a statement.
All personnel at the facility are safe while specialists are assessing the equipment's operational status, the statement said.
The ministry and the Federal Air Transport Agency are coordinating with airlines and airports to revise flight schedules and modify air traffic management procedures in the region.
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Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council secretary, will travel to the United States this week for talks with US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Thursday.
According to the report, the meeting could take place in Miami, Florida.
In March, Ukrainian and US delegations met in Miami and discussed security guarantees and humanitarian issues in settling the Ukraine crisis.
Meanwhile, Russia on Thursday declared a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict during the Victory Day celebrations from midnight on May 8 to May 10.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that all Russian military groupings in the conflict zone would completely halt combat operations during the designated period.
The statement added that Russia would also suspend missile and artillery strikes, as well as the use of long-range precision weapons launched from air and sea platforms and combat drones targeting Ukrainian military positions and related infrastructure deep inside Ukrainian territory.
Russia called on the Ukrainian side to observe the ceasefire as well.
At the same time, the ministry said that Russian forces would respond if Ukrainian troops violated the truce or attempted attacks on populated areas and facilities within Russian regions.
It warned again of a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day celebrations, and urged civilians in Kyiv and staff members of foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city in a timely manner.
