KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russian forces dropped heavy “glide bombs” on the central Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya, officials said on May 5, killing at least 10 people and wounding nearly a dozen others.
Ukraine, meanwhile, launched its newest long-range cruise missile, along with a volley of drones, at Russia’s central Chuvashia region, located nearly 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian weapons manufacturer was targeted by the Flamingo cruise missiles.
At least two people were killed and more than 30 injured, Chuvashia’s regional governor said.
The back-and-forth comes days before Russia and Ukraine both mark the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
While Ukraine’s events — known since 2023 as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism — are held on May 8 and traditionally focused mainly on war veterans, Russia has turned its May 9 annual Victory Day event into a grandiose celebration of Soviet military history, as well as extolling Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
The annual Russian parade, held on Red Square next to the Kremlin, has been scaled-back this year, with Kremlin officials citing the danger of Ukrainian drones.
Earlier this week, a drone suspected to be Ukrainian slammed into a luxury high-rise building just a few kilometers from the Kremlin. The drone managed to evade Moscow’s numerous air defenses.
President Vladimir Putin has declared a cease-fire to coincide with the May 9 events, and the Defense Ministry warned Ukraine against attacking during that time, threatening to hit central Kyiv in retaliation.
Zelenskyy has rebuffed Putin’s proposal, and instead announced a cease-fire as of May 5.
In Zaporizhzhya, emergency responders struggled to put out blazes and treat victims of the bombing, which officials said included “glide” bombs — aircraft-dropped weapons that contain heavy amounts of explosives. At least 10 people were killed, and nearly a dozen injured.
Russian drones, meanwhile, hit residential apartment buildings in the northern city of Chernihiv, wounding at least 17 people. Officials said it appeared the city’s main administrative building was the target.
State-owned natural gas company Naftogaz reported that three employees were killed in a Russian strike on a gas facility near Poltava. Two emergency workers were also killed in the “double-tap” strike — when a second attack is launched as firefighters or rescue workers work to help victims.
In Kramatorsk, a Donbas region city that is close to the frontlines, at least five people were killed in a Russian airstrike and nine wounded, according to regional military head Vadim Filashkin.
Ukraine has expanded its drone and missile arsenals dramatically in recent years, launching more drones and sending them further distances into Russia. In the past few weeks, Ukrainian drones have hit oil export facilities on the Baltic Sea.
On May 5, Ukrainian missiles and numerous drones hit locations in Cheboksary. Russian and Ukrainian officials said. Zelenskyy said multiple “Flamingo” missiles — a homegrown weapon that Ukraine has rushed into development — were used in the attack, targeting a manufacturing plant that supplied navigation components to the Russian military.
Local media reported that at least two people were killed and more than 30 wounded.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have battled Russian troops to a near-stalemate, with Russian units advancing at a glacial pace, at the cost of extraordinary casualties. In some place, Russian forces have lost ground.
