Russian attacks kill 27 in Ukraine amid rival ceasefire proposals

On Tuesday, Russian assaults throughout eastern Ukraine resulted in the deaths of at least 27 individuals, with 12 casualties from one of the year's most lethal attacks. This occurred just hours before a midnight deadline for an open-ended ceasefire suggested by Kyiv. Russia had declared a ceasefire for May 8-9 to align with WWII victory celebrations and a military parade in Moscow's Red Square. In response, Ukraine proposed a ceasefire beginning at midnight Wednesday (2100 GMT) and called for Russia to reciprocate. President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Russia's "utter cynicism," deeming it unacceptable for them to pause strikes for a day for their parade while relentlessly attacking Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted on X that as the ceasefire approached, Russia showed no intention of ceasing hostilities, instead escalating terror. Following the deadline, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed leader of Crimea, reported on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone strike had killed five civilians in Dzhankoi, likely occurring before the ceasefire took effect, with no attacks observed immediately afterward.