Mutual accusations fly as temporary ceasefire falters in eastern Ukraine
Lubart soldiers drills at the training ground (Photo: 20th Operative Brigade in National Guards 1st Azov Corps / Facebook)
A ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia without clear enforcement mechanisms, reliable monitoring, and defined dispute resolution procedures is unlikely to be durable, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 10.
Russian occupation forces and Ukrainian troops continued limited offensive operations during the second day of the truce from May 9 to May 11, analysts noted.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials traded accusations that the other side violated the ceasefire on May 10, the report indicated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically stated that the occupiers "continue their assault activity in the directions that are key for them."
He also reported on shelling and drone strikes at the front.
The Ukrainian leader noted that "over yesterday and today, there have already been more than 150 assault actions, over a hundred shellings, and almost ten thousand kamikaze drone strikes."
The occupation army "does not observe the silence and does not even particularly try" at the front, Zelenskyy stressed.
In turn, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 27 strike UAVs overnight, all of which were shot down or suppressed.
Russia's Defense Ministry also accused Ukraine of allegedly violating the truce on May 10.
ISW analysts also refer to NASA FIRMS satellite monitoring data for May 10, which indicates a further decrease in the intensity of hostilities on May 10, although activity did not completely stop.
Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that the intensity of hostilities in certain sectors of the front continued to decrease on May 10, despite ongoing tactical operations that violated the ceasefire, the report emphasized.
ISW experts concluded that mutual accusations and local hostilities during the second day of the truce indicate that a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia without clear enforcement mechanisms, reliable monitoring, and clearly defined dispute resolution procedures is unlikely to be observed.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a U.S.-brokered truce between Ukraine and Russia for the period from May 9 to May 11 on May 8, following a series of Russian threats to launch a massive strike on Kyiv and successful Ukrainian strikes on facilities in the Russian rear. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed this and announced a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner of war exchange.
Russian and Ukrainian military personnel continued to conduct offensive operations along the entire front line, but the intensity of the fighting decreased during the first day of the truce declared from May 9 to May 11, ISW analysts stated in their May 9 report.
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