Russia Launches Dozens of Drones on Ukraine Despite Kyiv's Unilateral Ceasefire
Russia launched 108 drones and three missiles against Ukraine overnight into Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, disregarding Kyiv's unilateral ceasefire that took effect at midnight. The attacks targeted multiple regions and continued into the morning, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting many of the drones.
Russian-installed officials in Crimea reported five people killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Dzhankoi early on May 6, citing damage to residential buildings. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed its forces shot down 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, Crimea, and the Black Sea between May 5 and May 6. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 27 civilians were killed and 120 wounded in Russian strikes on May 5.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the ceasefire after Russia declared a separate two-day halt for May 8–9 to mark Victory Day, but warned any violations would prompt retaliation. European officials welcomed Kyiv's move as a gesture of goodwill, while Sybiha accused Moscow of insincerity, saying its actions proved it did not seek peace. He called for stronger international sanctions, war crimes accountability, and expanded military aid to Ukraine.
The war, now in its fifth year since Russia's full-scale invasion, has killed over 15,000 civilians, according to the United Nations. Both sides continue long-range drone and missile campaigns, with front-line combat remaining static across the 1,250-kilometer boundary.
Ukraine has indicated it will respond to further attacks, and no bilateral ceasefire talks are scheduled. The Russian military is expected to proceed with its planned suspension on May 8–9, coinciding with Victory Day commemorations, though past such pauses have yielded no diplomatic progress.