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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “utter cynicism” after overnight strikes hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and killed civilians and emergency workers, as Moscow and Kyiv prepared for separate ceasefires on different dates this week.
The attacks came before Russia’s planned May 9 Victory Day events in Moscow.
Moscow has announced a ceasefire during the public World War II commemorations around May 9, while Kyiv has said it will halt fire on May 6.
Zelenskyy said Russia attacked energy infrastructure in the central Poltava region overnight and then struck again with a missile while the State Emergency Service workers were already at the scene, extinguishing a fire.
Dozens of people were reported injured and four people were killed, including two first responders, Zelenskyy said.
He identified the fallen rescuers as 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.
Ukrainian officials had earlier said the Poltava attack killed three workers at an energy company and two rescuers responding to the strike.
Zelenskyy also said Russia struck the Kharkiv region, where four people were injured and one person was killed. In the Dnipro region, he said Russia attacked critical infrastructure, injuring three people.
In Pavlohrad, power lines were damaged, leaving thousands of families without electricity, Zelenskyy said. He also reported 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.
“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,” Zelenskyy said.
“Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” he added.
Zelenskyy said peace was needed and that “real steps” were needed to achieve it. “Ukraine will act in kind,” he said.
Authorities said Russia fired 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones across Ukraine during the overnight attacks.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has become the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing millions.
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