By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda updated at 1339 EAT on Tuesday 6 May 2025

Four people were wounded there,but  officials say, there have been no reported fatalities.

Kharkiv’s Barabashovo market was hit, with firefighters at the scene battling the blaze this morning.

There’s been a fresh drone attack in the south of Ukraine this morning, according to the mayor of the city of Nikopol.

In a post on Telegram at 11:34 local time (09:34 BST), Oleksandr Sayuk said an air raid warning was in place. Twenty minutes later, he said the attack was still ongoing

That’s the view here in Ukraine, where people remain sceptical that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed three-day ceasefire is nothing more than a theatrical gesture.

His hastily announced Easter truce was broken numerous times by both sides.

Speaking to journalists during his recent visit to Prague, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was no trust in Putin’s offer.

“They kill until [May] 7th, pause for a couple of comfortable days, then start attacking again on the 11th,” he said. Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day US ceasefire proposal, but Russia has not.

There are several possible explanations for why Moscow has proposed this short ceasefire, due to start at midnight on Wednesday night.

Perhaps the most obvious one is that Putin wants nothing to disrupt the Victory Day parade on Friday.

The last thing he wants is a swarm of Ukrainian drones penetrating Moscow’s airspace above Red Square with all the world watching.

Another explanation is that Russian troops on the front line are exhausted, as are the Ukrainians, and this would give them a breathing space.

And then there is President Trump. The Kremlin, rattled by some of his recent comments, is keen to convince him that Russia does indeed want this war to end.

A day before Easter last month, Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour pause in hostilities in Ukraine for “humanitarian considerations”.

Volodymyr Zelensky called the Russian president’s words “empty” and both sides continued to accuse the other of violating tge ceasefire over the Easter weekend.

At the end of April, the Kremlin unilaterally announced another ceasefire this time to run from 8 May to 11 May to coincide with victory celebrations marking the end of World War Two.

In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for an immediate ceasefire lasting “at least 30 days”.

Longer term, the US has been engaged in discussions with both Ukraine and Russia in the hopes of reaching an agreement on a permanent peace deal.

Representatives from Ukraine and the US reached an agreement on a 30- day truce after a meeting in Saudi Arabia in March, but this was turned down by Russia.

At the start of this month, US Vice-President JD Vance said the war in Ukraine “is not going to end any time soon”and stressed that it was up to Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement.

On Friday, Russia is due to celebrate its annual Victory Day military parade in Red Square. This year, it coincides with a ceasefire in Ukraine, unilaterally announced by Rissia last month.

The celebration marks the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945,bringing an end to World War Two in Europe.

The Soviet Union lost around 27 million citizens during the war – more than any other country in the conflict.

As a result, Vladimir Putin has used the national significance of the day to promote the idea of a heroic victory against fascism – with a show of Russia’s military strength and hardware.

“We mark Victory Day at a time when we are carrying out the Special Military Operation,” President Vladimir Putin said in his address. “Those taking part on the frontline are our heroes.”

But signs of the conflict’s toll were evident. Just one tank was present, and only 9,000 people marched across Red Square – less than would have been expected before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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