Moscow and Kiev continued to engage in hostilities ahead of a planned Easter ceasefire on Saturday afternoon.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has reached its fifth year, while US efforts to contain the conflict have increased significantly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said Kiev would halt its defense if Russia stopped attacking Orthodox Christian holidays.
Moscow, which launched the war on February 24, 2022, has announced it has ordered a temporary 36-hour break in its attacks between 4:00 pm local time (1300 GMT) on Saturday and midnight Sunday as a “humanitarian gesture”.
Strikes continue ahead of planned Easter Sunday
Despite the pending pause in actions, attacks continued throughout the night and into Saturday.
For example, officials in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa reported that two people were killed and several others injured in Russian drone strikes on residential buildings and a kindergarten in the Black Sea port.
In the central Ukrainian city of Poltava, one person was killed and another injured in a “hostile drone strike” that hit a shop and cafe.
Another attack in the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine targeted several residential areas, wounding 14 people, including a 14-year-old and an 87-year-old man.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday it had shot down 99 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Debris from a drone reportedly fell on an oil depot in the Russian city of Krymsk, causing a fire, local officials said Saturday, but provided no information on further damage.
Russia’s ‘humane behavior’ echoes last year’s flawed break
The temporary pause in fighting this weekend comes as US efforts to end Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine have failed, with the US-Israeli war over Iran now drawing Washington’s attention.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a similar ceasefire on the Orthodox holiday, although both sides reported multiple violations.
Once again, both Moscow and Kiev have vowed to respond to any aggression during this year’s 36-hour intermission.
Edited by: Carl Sexton