MoscowThe three-day truce agreed between Russia and Ukraine with the mediation of Donald Trump, which expired on Monday night, was marked by three elements: Volodymyr Zelensky refrained from launching drones against Red Square during Vladimir Putin’s military parade; in case of violating this agreement, Moscow threatened a retaliatory attack against Kyiv; and, in a humanitarian gesture, each side pledged to release a thousand prisoners. 24 hours after the ceasefire ended, the Russian army launched one of the most massive bombardments against Ukrainian cities since the start of the war and the Kremlin resisted carrying out the promised exchange of captives.
the ceasefire promoted to mark Soviet Victory Day“These are certainly not the actions of someone who believes the war is nearing its end,” said the Ukrainian president, referring to words from Putin, who had implied that the conflict would soon end. “It is important that our partners do not remain silent in the face of this attack,” he added, while also calling for more air defense aid. Significantly, Hungary —which has a new government since last Saturday— has summoned the Russian ambassador for the first time in response to the bombing of western Ukraine, in a region where a Hungarian minority lives.
During the same period, Kyiv has launched 467 drones against Russian territory and has damaged a refinery in Yaroslavl, about 900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, a gas processing plant in Astrakhan, near the Caspian Sea, and the Taman oil port in the Black Sea.
The President of the United States had predicted that, “with luck,” the ceasefire promoted to mark Soviet Victory Day against Nazi Germany the measure would be “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard war.” In the 72 hours it was in effect, both armies halted long-range attacks, which had been wreaking havoc in the preceding days, while assault operations and the use of drones on the front continued. However, once the truce period expired, Russia took the opportunity to stockpile unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles to send them massively against Ukraine. Zelensky does not believe it is “a coincidence” that the bombing took place just as Trump meets with Xi Jinping in China.
The prisoner exchange, on hold
Kyiv also complains that Moscow is hindering the exchange of prisoners agreed under the truce. The Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, regrets that Ukraine has provided the lists of prisoners to be released and the negotiating team has completed all the necessary steps, but that Russia is postponing the materialization of the commitment. “Even when you reach an agreement with the Russians, you can never be 100% sure that they will respect it,” he says. The Russian government, on the other hand, claims that it is Ukraine who is delaying the preparations for the swap.