Last month, Ukraine managed to liberate more land than Russia seized – the first time Moscow suffered a net loss of territory since Ukraine’s 2024 Kursk incursion.

The Russian strikes came just hours before a unilaterally proposed Ukrainian ceasefire and days before Russia itself intends to observe a ceasefire.

Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of violating a two-day ceasefire ‌announced by Moscow to cover the celebrations of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.  The Russian defence ‌ministry said 264 Ukrainian drones had been downed early on Friday,

President Vladimir Putin said something remarkable during Russia’s Victory Day weekend: that he believed the matter of the Ukrainian conflict “was coming to an end.”