Russia, Ukraine fire counter strikes ahead of proposed three-day truce

SBS Australia

05-05-2025

In the dark early hours in the Ukrainian capital, dozens of firefighters quell the flames caused by war. Debris from the latest drone attack by Russia had landed on several cars across the capital, setting them alight. Teenage student, Daryna Kravchuk was shaken by the attack near her apartment building. "We live on the first floor and we could hear the doors constantly opening and closing because people were just running away. It was very loud, it was one of the loudest nights. Very scary." As war veteran Petro Kryvoruka [[Kree-voh-roo-kah]] surveys his destroyed car, he concedes life is more important than metal; but his will be set back, again. (Ukrainian to English translation) "Pretending that they (Russians) are ready for talks is one thing, but nevertheless they keep delivering strikes and the war continues, boys are dying every day. The talks did not bring anything good so far. Look at the result of the talks: people are suffering, houses and cars sustain damage. I received some money from the government after being injured and I planned to rebuild my life, work as a taxi driver. And now all my plans are ruined." Tamara Kryvoruka, who lives with her army veteran son, condemns the attack on a place which houses no strategic infrastructure, only homes. "Calling them bastards is even not enough to describe them. Targeting civilians is just horrible. People were sleeping." Ukraine's military reports shooting down upwards of 69 Russian drones over the same night. Moscow is reporting it has stopped a retaliatory strike, with its mayor stating four drones were intercepted over the Russian capital. Both sides deny ever targeting civilians; meanwhile, people are fatigued by fear. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assuring war-weary citizens reprieve could come soon, in the form of a long-awaited ceasefire. (Ukrainian then translated into English): "We believe that ceasefire is possible at any moment, even starting today and should last for at least 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance." Last week, Russia declared a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10, which Ukraine countered with a proposal to stop war activities for 30 days. The same week, the United States and Ukraine signed onto a 10-year minerals and military marriage of sorts. A new joint investment fund will give the US access to the country's rare earths, to pay for rebuilding the war-ravage country and its protection. Ukrainian business academic Professor Valeriy Pekar is among those who are less optimistic about the outcome - and intent of the role of the U-S. "To take control of our resources, it is necessary to end the war. The American leadership declares themselves great peacemakers, but what they really do is not peacemaking. It's war mongering. Troublemaking. Yeah." Over the weekend [[2 May]], US President Donald Trump spoke on American TV ,[[N-B-C's Meet the Press]] admitting while peace is the plan; it isn't a certainty. "We're talking tremendous hatred between these two men and between you know, some of the soldiers frankly. Between the generals, they've been fighting for three years. I think we have a very good chance of doing it." Mr Trump will be in Saudi Arabia in coming weeks, but when he spoke with reporters, he did not detail his plans, simply saying he and his advisors had some very good discussions in recent days. Meantime, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week. Beijing has described itself as a neutral party on the Ukraine conflict. Mr Xi will join Russian allies in marking Russia's World War Two Victory Day in Moscow on the 9th of May. In a state TV video, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had the means to end the war in Russia's favour. Mr Putin, not for the first time, alluding to the use of nuclear weapons. (Russia to English translation)" There was no need to use the weapons you spoke about and I hope and I hope they will not be required. We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires." Mr Zelenskyy, meanwhile is in the Czech Republic, urging Ukraine's allies to place more pressure on the Kremlin. He has spent three years on a whistle stop world diplomacy tour to secure support for his country, but Mr Zelenskyy was first a performer of a different kind. Now psychologists say dramatic art is playing a crucial role in the conflict, as theatre enjoys a resurgence across Ukraine. Mykhailo Kukuiuk - an actor in Lviv - says he recognises a mutual need for escapism in every performance. (Ukrainian to English translation) "We actors don't get tired — not like we used to. And laughter — its nature is similar to thirst. We are like lovers — there is so little time left for the audience and the actor to be together. We are with each other — it is an exchange of energy, and there is a feeling that we want to make the most of this time.'