In his evening address on May 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Russia had rejected Ukraine's ceasefire proposal effective May 6, responding with "new strikes and attacks." He also made it clear that a final decision on Moscow's proposal for a ceasefire on May 8-9 had not yet been made.

As a reminder, on May 4, the Russian Ministry of Defense, following a decision by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, declared a ceasefire for May 8 and 9 in honor of Victory Day. The ministry hoped that Ukraine would follow Russia's example and warned that if Kyiv attempted to disrupt the celebrations, it would launch a massive missile strike on central Kyiv.

In response, Zelenskyy declared a unilateral ceasefire effective 00:00 AM on May 6, declaring that human life is more valuable than "celebrating any anniversary." The Ukrainian leader emphasized that no official requests had been received from Russia regarding the parameters of the ceasefire, and that the information available was being disseminated only on social media. Ukraine has also repeatedly stated that it is prepared to act in kind, depending on Russia's actions.

However, the unilateral ceasefire imposed by Kyiv, as well as the ceasefire declared by Russia, are not being observed. On the night of May 6, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian territory, including using UAVs, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, recording dozens of downed drones and retaliatory strikes. Similarly, the Ukrainian side is reporting ongoing Russian attacks. This is creating mutual mistrust and undermining the prospects for even a short-term ceasefire.