Russia decreased but didn't cease attacks during Victory Day truce, Ukraine's Border Guard says
Russia did not fully halt its attacks on Ukraine during a self-declared Victory Day ceasefire, continuing daily strikes with various weapons, Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, said on air on May 12.
Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a "humanitarian truce" from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11. President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the proposal as a "theatrical performance," accusing Putin of manipulating the international community by declaring brief ceasefires that it has no intention of following.
Demchenko said Russian forces continued attacking Ukrainian territory throughout the declared period.
"I can confirm that both now and during the so-called three-day ceasefire, (Russia) never fully stopped striking Ukrainian territory," Demchenko said.
"Perhaps in some areas, the intensity decreased slightly to create an image of compliance with their own announcement. But in reality, (Russia) continued attacks every day, using all available weapons — including aircraft to drop guided bombs on Ukraine."
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that Russia uses ceasefire announcements for propaganda purposes while maintaining offensive operations on the ground.
On May 8 alone, the first day of Russia's Victory Day ceasefire, Ukrainian forces faced 117 ground assaults across the front line, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Earlier in April, Russia declared a ceasefire over the Easter holiday, though Zelensky accused Moscow of nearly 3,000 violations between April 19 and April 21. Ukraine has also said that Russian forces repeatedly breached a partial truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the U.S. on March 25.
Read also: Russia rejects European peacekeepers, NATO infrastructure in Ukraine amid potential peace talks, Peskov says
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