A Kremlin-proposed cease-fire to mark Victory Day collapsed within hours, as Ukraine and Russia reported hundreds of violations a day before a scaled-down military parade in Moscow.
"There was not even a token attempt at a cease-fire on the front," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early on May 8, reporting Russian shelling, attempted assaults along the front line, and drone strikes.
Ukraine's Air Forces reported 67 Russian drones have attacked the country overnight, as Dnipropetrovsk Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said the key eastern region was attacked at least 30 times "with drones, artillery, and a missile."
Hanzha reported that the strikes injured three people. "More than 10 private homes and vehicles were damaged," he added.
Zelenskyy promised that "Ukraine will respond in kind," for the strikes.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported it shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones and six of its domestically made Neptune cruise missiles.
User-generated footage shared on Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels showed pillars of smoke rising in Russia's Rostov, Yaroslavl, Perm, and Chechnya regions.
Local authorities in Russia's Rostov and Perm regions confirmed the strikes, while Zelenskyy shared footage that he said showed a fire at an oil facility in Yaroslavl. It "played a major role in financing Russia's war," he said.
Separately, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also reported Ukrainian strikes, saying the latest attack on the capital was "one of the largest" so far in 2026.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it "responded in kind to violations of the cease-fire and carried out retaliatory strikes."
The Kremlin had unilaterally declared a cease-fire with Ukraine on May 8-9, to coincide with Russia's celebration of Victory Day with military parade on Moscow's Red Square.
Kyiv rejected the move, and countered with its own cease-fire that had been set to run from May 6, proposing a more lasting truce to end the war.
"If the one person in Moscow who cannot live without war cares only about one parade and nothing else, that's a different story," Zelenskyy said on May 6.
Under President Vladimir Putin, Victory Day has become one of the year's most important events, a grandiose celebration of Soviet and Russian military history, as well as Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
This year, however, military equipment will reportedly be absent from the traditional parade, and, so far, fewer than 10 dignitaries are expected to attend it, including Putin's longtime ally, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko.
According to Zelenskyy, some leaders reached out to Kyiv, saying their officials plan to attend the parade. "An odd desire… these days. We don't recommend it," he said.
Earlier in the week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced additional measures were being taken due to "the rather complex operational situation" arising from what he called the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.
Late on May 7, Der Spiegel reported that the Kremlin had revoked its accreditation for the parade, adding that at least five other international media outlets, including AFP and Sky, were also refused permission at the last moment to cover the events on Red Square on May 9.
According to Spiegel, a Kremlin official told the agency that "the format of the parade coverage has been changed due to the situation."
Asked about the report, Peskov said it was "false," adding that limits on the number of journalists were introduced in line with the scaled-down format of the event.
The development may mark the first time that international media will be absent from covering Moscow's Victory Day celebrations.
