From midnight on May 5th to 6th, a ceasefire declared by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took effect in Ukraine. Despite Kyiv's announcement, Ukrainian Telegram channels report that drone attacks will continue in territories that were part of Ukraine before 2014. There are also reports of a drone moving toward the Dnipro River, and air raid sirens remain in effect in several regions.

Zelenskyy declared a ceasefire on May 4. In his address, the Ukrainian president stated that Kyiv had not received an official request from Russia with the ceasefire parameters that had been discussed on Russian social media. The Ukrainian leader also emphasized that human life is more valuable than "celebrating any anniversary."

Political scientists and experts are calling Zelenskyy's decision an information operation and an attempt to re-enter the negotiating agenda amid direct contacts between the Russian and US presidents. War correspondent Alexander Kots also attributes the initiative to Ukraine's desire to be "in the spotlight" of international negotiations.

It's worth noting that the "ceasefire" was preceded by a massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russian regions. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, before the ceasefire declared by Kyiv, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched 289 drones into Russian territory. The attack targeted 19 regions of the country, including the Voronezh, Kaluga, and Leningrad regions, Crimea, and Tatarstan.

As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin previously announced a ceasefire for May 8 and 9. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that if the ceasefire were to be disrupted or the Victory Day Parade were to be attacked, a massive missile strike on central Kyiv would follow. Furthermore, the "ceasefire" announced by Zelenskyy began before the ceasefire proposed by Russia.