Russian air defenses shot down 347 Ukrainian drones overnight, the country’s Defense Ministry said Thursday, in what it described as a major assault that reached more than 20 regions, including the capital, Moscow. The barrage was Ukraine’s second largest by drone count since the full-scale invasion began, trailing only a 389-drone attack in March, and it came as tensions over a proposed ceasefire and the approach of Russia’s Victory Day holiday peaked.
The Kremlin had earlier in the week dismissed a Ukrainian offer to suspend hostilities. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had been prepared to “ensure complete silence” but that Russia responded with new strikes. “They want Ukraine’s permission to hold their parade — so they can safely take to the square for an hour once a year, and then go back to killing our people and waging war,” Zelenskyy said in a video address Thursday. Russia, for its part, declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, the two days of Victory Day observances, but its forces continued to launch drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, Zelenskyy said, pointing to damage to the power grid and rail network.
In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin views the threat, Moscow authorities announced an unprecedented shutdown of all mobile internet and text messaging in the capital on May 9. The traditional military parade in Red Square will omit the usual tanks, missiles and armored columns for the first time in nearly two decades, with the Defense Ministry citing the “current operational situation” as the reason. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said additional security measures were “necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, which is an absolute priority.”
Foreign dignitaries still plan to attend the weekend ceremonies. Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos’s President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko are expected, while Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico will meet with President Vladimir Putin but stay away from the parade. Zelenskyy said some countries had contacted Kyiv about their plans to send representatives to Moscow and delivered a blunt warning: “An odd desire at a time like this. We do not recommend it.”
Russian officials warned repeatedly that any Ukrainian effort to disrupt the holiday would trigger a severe response. Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the government had “strengthened our focus on the possibility of retaliatory measures,” and the Foreign Ministry urged foreign embassies in Kyiv to evacuate their offices. Ukraine’s military reported that its air defenses shot down 92 of 102 Russian drones launched overnight, underscoring the grinding, high-volume drone war that now dominates the conflict.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a Russian drone strike wounded nine people, including three children, local officials said. The attack continued a pattern of strikes on civilian areas that has drawn international condemnation. The U.S.-led peace initiative has shown no sign of bridging the gap between the two sides, and with the symbolic weight of Victory Day looming, both Moscow and Kyiv are signaling that any de-escalation remains distant.