Since late September, Ukraine has indicated a dramatic increase in Russian drone strikes. This significant uptick comes on the heels of a tenuous ceasefire’s expiration and underscores the precarious reality of the region. According to the Russian defense ministry, Russian troops strictly observed the ceasefire. At the same time, Ukraine’s air force activated air raid alerts across much of Ukraine on both November 8 and 9, including in Kyiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
In a disturbing recent post on the messaging app Telegram, Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched 96 Shahed drones in one night. In total today, the south of Mykolaiv was struck by missile strikes with two missiles and Kherson city was hit with one missile as well. In a statement by President Volodymyr Zelensky, as of one week into the ceasefire, Ukraine had suffered 1,882 cases of Russian shelling. Of these attacks, 812 used heavy military weaponry.
Just hours before the truce expired, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov counted down the clock. He reiterated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not directed an extension of the ceasefire. This announcement came after Putin’s unceremonious announcement that fighting was to halt during the specified time.
“For this period, I order all military actions to cease,” – Vladimir Putin
Zelensky described it as a mere public relations effort by Russia, labeling Putin’s words as “empty.” He accused the Kremlin of attempting to create a false perception of a ceasefire while continuing aggressive actions against Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky mentioned that there had been “no air raid alerts today,” indicating a brief respite before the renewed onslaught began. News of missile strikes in Mykolaiv soon eclipsed this announcement. Regional head Vitaliy Kim reported the attacks just hours after the ceasefire expired.
Zelensky strengthened that message, stating that Ukrainian military retaliation would go as far as Russia’s provocations went.
“The nature of Ukrainian actions will continue to be mirrored: we will respond to silence with silence, our strikes will be to protect against Russian strikes,” – Volodymyr Zelensky
Since Russia’s February 24, 2022, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the bloody conflict has claimed thousands of lives. Both sides have lost tremendously in this often nasty and adversarial battle. Consider the human costs of the war. Estimates indicate at least hundreds of thousands killed and injured, mostly among military personnel. Both sides have blamed one another for breaking the ceasefire almost every day since July 19.
Yet last month, Moscow tabled a set of terms for a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire. The United States and Ukraine looked favorably upon these non-binding terms. The continuing hostilities demonstrate the difficulties faced in achieving a more stable solution to the conflict.
Now, the U.S. State Department is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“It is long past time to stop the death and destruction and end this war,” – U.S. State Department spokesperson
The spokesperson underscored the joint pledge for all parties to avoid use of civilian infrastructure.
“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy,” – Vladimir Putin
The BBC has not fact-checked, either in the field or via reputable sources, any claims from either side about ceasefire violations or attacks. As war erupts again in Ukraine, tempers flare. How these positive developments would translate into any future negotiations and incentives remains questionable given the current dynamics of conflict in the region.
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