Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded clarification from the United States on a short-term ceasefire proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after the Kremlin revealed the offer was made during a call with Donald Trump. In a Telegram post on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he had instructed Ukrainian representatives to contact the Trump team to ascertain the specifics of the proposal, which reportedly coincides with Russia's Victory Day on May 9.
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks overnight killed one person in the central city of Dnipro and wounded 20 in the southern port of Odesa, local officials reported. Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said a shop and residential building were damaged in Dnipro, while Odesa region head Oleh Kiper described waves of drone strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, including a hotel and kindergarten.
In a separate development, a ship that Ukrainian officials said was carrying stolen grain from occupied territories departed Israel on Thursday without unloading its cargo, after the country's largest grain import company rejected the shipment. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the move, saying it demonstrated the effectiveness of Ukraine's legal and diplomatic actions. Zelenskyy had earlier threatened sanctions against Israel if the vessel unloaded.
Ukraine continued its strikes on Russian industrial facilities for a second day, with a security official confirming that the Security Service (SBU) hit the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in the Ural Mountains, over 1,500 kilometres away. Meanwhile, the Krasnodar region governor said a fire at an oil refinery in Tuapse, caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, had been extinguished after two days, with oil products spilling onto streets. Ukraine's Navy also claimed to have struck two Russian vessels in the Kerch Strait using sea drones.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said no definite decision had been made on the ceasefire, adding that Putin would determine the specific terms. Zelenskyy expressed scepticism, stating: 'We will find out exactly what is being discussed, whether it's a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow or something more.' Ukraine is proposing a longer-term ceasefire.
