Explosions rock Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts as Ukraine's ceasefire goes unanswered
Russian forces struck Kharkiv and the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts overnight, damaging at least seven homes and hitting an industrial facility, despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by Ukraine hours earlier.
Russian troops struck Kharkiv's Novobavarskyi district with a Shahed drone early in the morning, hitting a private house and igniting a fire. A total of seven homes in the district were damaged, and one person was treated for acute stress reaction, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. A second strike hit the city's Shevchenkivskyi district.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian forces attacked an industrial infrastructure facility overnight, regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov reported. No casualties were reported.
At 7:57 a.m., Russian forces also struck the Kryvyi Rih district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, damaging infrastructure, according to Kryvyi Rih Defense Council head Oleksandr Vilkul. No casualties were reported there.
What is known about the ceasefire
In late April, Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia was ready for a ceasefire with Ukraine on Victory Day. Trump reportedly backed the proposal.
Zelenskyy directed Ukrainian diplomats to contact the U.S. to clarify the details of Russia's offer — but as of May 4, he said he had still not been informed of any specifics. The Kremlin's spokesman said Russia did not need Ukraine's agreement to implement a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy stressed that any ceasefire must be long-term — "not just a few hours" for a parade in Moscow — and later announced that Ukraine would begin its own ceasefire from midnight of May 5 into May 6. Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov said: "If the ceasefire Ukraine has put in place is reciprocated, we will extend it."