Zelenskyy Calls Russia’s Ceasefire Push “Utter Cynicism” After Deadly Strikes on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “utter cynicism” after a new wave of missile and drone strikes hit energy infrastructure and civilian areas across Ukraine, killing and injuring dozens on May 5.

The President criticized Moscow for calling for a ceasefire around its upcoming Victory Day celebrations while continuing daily attacks in the lead-up to the event.

“It is utter cynicism to ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out such missile and drone strikes every single day leading up to it. Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses. Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind,” he said.

Zelenskyy pointed to a series of overnight strikes that targeted critical infrastructure, particularly in the Poltava region, where emergency responders were killed in a follow-up attack.

“Last night, the Russians attacked energy infrastructure in the Poltava region. And they struck again in an especially vile way with a missile when State Emergency Service workers were already at the scene, extinguishing the fire. As of now, dozens of people are reported injured. Unfortunately, four people were killed, including two first responders. They are Hero of Ukraine Viktor Kuzmenko, who had responded to the aftermath of shelling more than 50 times, and Dmytro Skryl, who had served in the State Emergency Service for more than 20 years. My sincere condolences to their families and loved ones,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that strikes were also recorded in several other regions.

“The Russians also struck the Kharkiv region. Four people were injured. Unfortunately, one person was killed. My condolences. In the Dnipro region, they attacked critical infrastructure. Three people were injured in the region. In Pavlohrad, power lines were damaged, leaving thousands of families without electricity. There were also strikes on Zaporizhzhia and the Kyiv region, where three people were injured. Overall, Russia’s main targets overnight were our energy infrastructure facilities,” he said.

Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine continues to seek a genuine path to peace but stressed that any ceasefire must be backed by real actions rather than symbolic gestures.

A Russian overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s Poltava region turned deadly after a second strike hit emergency responders, killing five people—including three rescuers—and injuring dozens more.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced a unilateral ceasefire for May 8 and 9, 2026, to mark the anniversary of the victory in World War II. Despite this call for a pause in hostilities, Moscow issued warnings that any disruption to their celebrations would lead to a massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.

Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will unilaterally observe a “regime of silence” starting at 00:00 on the night of May 5 to May 6. This proactive peace initiative underscores Kyiv’s commitment to securing a long-term, reliable cessation of hostilities rather than settling for temporary, symbolic pauses.

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