Russia launched more than 1,400 drones and 56 missiles into Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday, with much of the onslaught aimed at the capital Kyiv. The attacks came days after Moscow threatened to do so if Ukraine attacked its Victory Day parade in Red Square on May 9.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed a ceasefire starting May 5. Moscow did not respond until May 7, presenting its peace proposal as a unilateral initiative accompanied by threats to punish Kyiv if it did not comply.
Moscow claimed its front-line units would “launch a massive missile strike” on central Kyiv if attacked. On May 9, 43 drones and several ballistic missiles were launched, followed by 27 more drones on May 10. Ukraine did not have a day of peace until May 11.
After the ceasefire ended, Russia launched 216 drones on the night of May 11, 892 drones overnight on May 12-13, and 675 drones with 56 missiles on the night of May 13-14. Official Ukrainian reports recorded strikes in at least 20 locations in the capital, including a nine-story apartment building where 12 people were killed.
“These are ordinary residential buildings, a school, a veterinary clinic, and other purely civilian infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “These are definitely not the actions of those who believe that the war is coming to an end.”
Ukraine claimed to have shot down 92% of the 1,930 drones launched and 41 of 57 missiles, close to Zelenskyy’s 95% target.
Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine has slowed. The Institute for the Study of War estimated an average daily gain of 2.9 sq km in the first four months of 2026, down from 9.76 sq km in early 2025 and 14.9 sq km between October 2024 and March 2025. By mid-May, the average had dropped to 2.63 sq km.
The ISW estimated Ukraine made net territorial gains of 116 sq km in April, its first such advance since September 2023. Success is partly attributed to effective drone use behind front lines.
On May 8, the Azov Corps of Ukraine’s National Guard announced it had “returned to Mariupol,” filming drone strikes on Russian diesel tankers and trucks 160 km behind the front line. “The strike depth will increase,” the Corps said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Germany for investing $1 billion in Ukraine’s deep strike capabilities. Zelenskyy stated, “Ukraine’s positions right now – on the front line, in our long-range sanctions, and in our joint results with partners – are the strongest they have been in years.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com