Russia’s war against Ukraine entered another volatile week marked by intensified fighting along the eastern front, escalating long-range strikes by both sides, renewed attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the collapse of competing ceasefire initiatives proposed by Kyiv and Moscow ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. While Russian forces continued to pressure Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region, Ukraine reported limited gains in some sectors and stepped up strikes deep behind Russian lines, as diplomatic efforts again failed to produce any meaningful breakthrough toward halting the war.
One of the dominant developments of the week was the rapid deterioration of ceasefire proposals surrounding Russia’s May 9 Victory Day commemorations. Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a temporary truce for May 8–9 linked to the annual celebrations marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of rejecting broader efforts to halt fighting and described Russia’s actions as proof that it was not genuinely interested in peace.
“Russia’s choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives,” Zelensky wrote on social media following another wave of large-scale Russian drone attacks across Ukraine. Kyiv had earlier proposed its own ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 6 and pledged to “act in kind” regarding Russia’s proposal for the Victory Day period. Zelensky argued that it was impossible to speak seriously about public celebrations while the war continued to kill civilians daily.
“It is obvious to any reasonable person that a full-scale war and the daily murdering of people are a bad time for public celebrations,” the Ukrainian president stated.
The remarks fueled speculation over potential Ukrainian strikes targeting Moscow during one of the Kremlin’s most symbolically important political events. Russian authorities reportedly increased security measures ahead of the parade, reduced displays of military hardware, and introduced intermittent internet shutdowns across the capital in line with growing concerns over potential Ukrainian drone attacks. Zelensky mocked the measures, saying Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square.”
Kyiv said Russian forces launched more than 100 drones overnight against eastern and southern Ukraine just one day after Russian strikes reportedly killed nearly 30 civilians. Ukrainian officials insisted that Moscow continued combat operations despite Kyiv’s proposed ceasefire, while Russia never formally accepted Ukraine’s broader truce initiative. On the front line, Ukrainian soldiers described the situation as unchanged despite the diplomatic rhetoric. One Ukrainian officer told AFP that Russian forces “continued to carry out infantry raids and attempts to storm our positions,” adding that Ukrainian troops were responding “in kind.” Another commander summarized the situation with the phrase: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
The heaviest fighting remained concentrated in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces continued assaults aimed at advancing toward Kostiantynivka, one of Ukraine’s key fortified strongholds in the east. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russian troops were attempting to infiltrate the outskirts of the city using sabotage and reconnaissance groups, while Ukrainian units conducted counter-operations to prevent Russian breakthroughs. Battlefield mapping indicated that Russian troops had moved to within roughly one kilometer of the city’s southern outskirts, although Ukrainian defenses continued to hold.
Russia also claimed the capture of several settlements during the week, including Novodmytrivka near Kostiantynivka, while Ukraine disputed some of Moscow’s territorial claims. Despite Russia’s continued offensive operations, battlefield analyses suggested that Moscow’s territorial momentum remained limited. Based on a data analyzed by Russia Matters using Institute for the Study of War mapping, Russian forces recorded a net territorial loss of approximately 21 square miles between April 28 and May 5. Over the past month, Russia reportedly lost a net 46 square miles after previously making modest gains earlier in the spring campaign. Analysts noted, however, that Russian troops continued offensive operations in multiple sectors simultaneously, maintaining constant pressure on Ukrainian defensive positions.
Ukraine also intensified its own long-range strike campaign during the week. President Zelensky said Ukrainian strikes at ranges exceeding 20 kilometers had doubled compared to March and quadrupled compared to February. Ukrainian officials described the operations as part of a systematic effort to degrade Russian logistics, command infrastructure, ammunition depots and drone control centers supporting frontline operations. Kyiv claimed more than 160 medium-range strikes during April alone.
Some of those strikes reached deep inside Russian territory. Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Cheboksary, located hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border, killed two people.
Russia’s Defense Ministry later announced that it had intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones overnight, though it did not specify whether the interceptions occurred before or after Kyiv’s proposed ceasefire was due to begin. Authorities installed by Moscow in occupied Crimea also reported that Ukrainian drone attacks killed five people late Tuesday.
At the same time, Russia continued its own campaign of long-range missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. One of the most significant attacks of the week struck Naftogaz gas production facilities in Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Ukrainian officials said the strikes killed five people, including Naftogaz employees and emergency responders, while at least 37 others were injured. The attacks caused substantial damage to gas infrastructure and disrupted energy supplies in several areas.
Russian attacks elsewhere in Ukraine caused additional civilian casualties throughout the week. Ukrainian authorities said at least one person was killed in overnight drone strikes, while a Russian attack on a kindergarten in Sumy region reportedly killed a security guard. Zaporizhzhia endured one of the deadliest bombardments of the week after Russian aerial bombs and drones struck residential areas, reportedly killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more. Kramatorsk also came under heavy attack, with aerial bombs killing several civilians and damaging residential infrastructure. Dnipro, Kharkiv and other major urban centers continued to face repeated missile and drone strikes as Russia maintained pressure on Ukrainian rear areas far from the immediate front line.
The broader strategic picture increasingly reflected a war of attrition and deep strikes rather than rapid territorial breakthroughs. Ukraine’s growing use of drones and long-range precision systems has allowed Kyiv to target Russian oil facilities, logistics hubs and military infrastructure far behind the front, while Russia has continued to exploit its larger missile stockpiles and drone production capacity to sustain near-nightly bombardments of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Western military and financial support for Ukraine continued despite growing international attention shifting toward tensions in the Middle East and the escalating crisis involving Iran. The United States approved a potential $373.6 million sale of Joint Direct Attack Munitions-Extended Range systems and related equipment for Ukraine. The package is intended to improve Ukraine’s precision-strike capabilities against Russian military targets and strengthen its ability to conduct longer-range operations.
European support also remained active. Britain entered discussions on joining the European Union’s major Ukraine loan and support initiative aimed at covering Kyiv’s financial and defense needs over the next two years. European leaders reiterated support for Ukraine during meetings with Zelensky this week, while London additionally imposed new sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military recruitment and drone production efforts.
Still, diplomatic efforts to end the war showed little tangible progress. Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine withdraw from four regions Russia claims to have annexed, conditions Kyiv has repeatedly rejected as unacceptable. Ukraine, meanwhile, maintains that any settlement must preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
