WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Russia and Ukraine accuse one another of ceasefire violations
Ukrainian troops have made further attempts to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday as President Vladimir Putin hosted world leaders at a major military parade in Moscow.
The Defence Ministry said the attacks occurred during a three-day ceasefire running from May 8-10 that Russia has unilaterally declared to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Ukraine has called the ceasefire a "farce" and on Friday documented scores of armed clashes.
It noted in particular, northeastern Sumy region, site of some of the heaviest Russian assaults in recent weeks, saying there had been no letup during the Kremlin-inspired ceasefire.
"There has been no 'ceasefire' in Sumy region on the 8th or 9th of May. Over the two days Russia has killed three civilians, the region's military administration said on Telegram.
Ukraine's military, in its account late on Friday of battlefield operations, said 162 armed clashes had been recorded over the past 24 hours, with the Kremlin ceasefire in effect, along with 22 air strikes and 956 drone attacks.
It noted heavy fighting near Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in eastern Ukraine targeted by Moscow's troops for months. Russian forces had attempted to break through Ukrainian lines 51 times.
The Russian Defence Ministry account said it had registered four attempts by Ukrainian forces to smash through the border into the Kursk and Belgorod regions in the past week.
In eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's troops had attacked Russian forces 15 times during the ceasefire, the ministry said.
Ukraine has said Russia had repeatedly breached its own truce this week. The governor of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that Russia hit eight Ukrainian frontline villages 220 times since the ceasefire went into effect.
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In Russia's Belgorod border region, the local governor said a Ukrainian drone had attacked a government building on Friday.
In Kursk, Ukrainian troops launched a major incursion last August and held onto a chunk of Russian territory for many months as Moscow's forces battled to eject them with help from North Korean soldiers. Some fighting has continued, even after Putin last month declared "victory" in Kursk.
Ukraine said its troops had repelled 19 attacks in the region.
Rybar, a pro-Russian war blogger, said there was "high-intensity fighting" between Russian and Ukrainian troops near Tetkino, a village in the region. Rybar and other bloggers said Ukrainian attacks on multiple villages in the neighbouring Belgorod region were continuing on Friday.
Reuters could not independently verify statements by war bloggers or battlefield reports from either side.
Ukraine and Russia both accused the other of repeatedly violating a previous 30-hour Easter ceasefire declared by Putin.
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Ukrainian forces attempted to breach border four times during Moscow’s Victory Day truce – MOD
Ukrainian forces have attempted four cross-border incursions into the Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod since the start of Moscow’s 72-hour ceasefire, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Ukrainian forces continued to conduct military operations despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a Victory Day ceasefire from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11, the ministry said on Friday.
Apart from the incursion attempts, Ukraine launched 15 smaller-scale attacks on a number of settlements in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, according to the statement.
The Ukrainian military also continued missile and artillery attacks against Russian frontline positions, the ministry said. The Russian military has recorded 5,026 attacks since the ceasefire came into force. The assaults involved around 1,500 instances of artillery shelling and 3,502 drone strikes, it added.
Russia responded with tit-for-tat actions, according to the ministry.
Putin announced the ceasefire last week, describing it as a humanitarian gesture to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, which he said could also serve as a catalyst for “the start of direct negotiations with Kiev without preconditions.”
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky dismissed the initiative, calling it a Russian ploy and an “attempt at manipulation.” Kiev has ramped up drone strikes on Russian territory, with the Defense Ministry reporting a record 524 UAVs being shot down on Wednesday alone.
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leader said on Thursday that Kiev is ready for a “complete ceasefire” without any preconditions at any moment, but insisted that it should last at least 30 days.
Russia has said it is ready for direct talks with Ukraine “without preconditions,” and has advocated for a permanent resolution to the conflict that addresses the root causes. It has also warned that Kiev could use a temporary truce to regroup its forces and replenish its military equipment and ammunition.
Reuters/RT
