"Russia Chose to End the Silence": Three-Day Ceasefire Collapses as Waves of Drone Strikes Kill and Maim Across Ukraine

12 May 2026 | Kyiv / Brussels / Moscow

KYIV, Ukraine – The silence lasted three days. Then the drones came back.

A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by President Donald Trump last week ended with fresh waves of Russian attacks – more than 200 attack drones damaging energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person and injuring dozens across the country.

"Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

"Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway. People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities."

"We Will Respond in Kind": Zelenskyy Vows Retaliation

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine "will respond in kind" to Russian attacks before reiterating his call for sustained international pressure on Moscow.

"Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened," he said.

"It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace."

The strikes targeted civilian infrastructure – a familiar pattern in Russia's campaign. A kindergarten. An apartment building. A civilian locomotive. None of them military targets. All of them now damaged or destroyed.

EU Defence Ministers Meet in Brussels: €90bn Loan on the Table

EU defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the bloc's threat assessment, its support for Ukraine, and what Europe could do to help in the Middle East. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters this morning that ministers would consider "how we can use the €90bn loan, and how does that all proceed so that it answers the urgent needs of Ukraine."

The ministers will also talk about how to ramp up domestic defence manufacturing in Europe to answer to growing needs amid warnings over increasingly assertive Russia.

But the timing is awkward. As European leaders gather to discuss support for Kyiv, Russian drones are once again falling on Ukrainian cities. The gap between European promises and Ukrainian realities remains vast.

Zelenskyy's Ex-Chief of Staff Named Corruption Suspect

In a dramatic development that could shake the foundations of Ukraine's wartime leadership, anti-corruption agencies have named Volodymyr Zelenskyy's powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption investigation.

Andriy Yermak – widely seen as Ukraine's second most powerful person after Zelenskyy – is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered about $10.5 million through an elite housing development outside Kyiv. The former film producer and entertainment lawyer wielded outsize influence across much of Ukrainian politics despite holding an unelected position.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and then top adviser Andriy Yermak in Kyiv in January 2024. Yermak has been identified as a suspect in a corruption inquiry.

The case is part of a broader inquiry into high-level graft first unveiled last November, when a former Zelenskyy business partner was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency. A former deputy prime minister and close associate of Zelenskyy's was also charged.

Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, Yermak denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further. Zelenskyy's communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, told reporters it was too early to comment because procedural actions were still ongoing.

Yermak resigned last year amid a broader government shake-up aimed at restoring trust in the president's office, which has been shadowed by allegations of centralised power. The timing of the announcement – coming just as Ukraine faces renewed Russian attacks and critical EU meetings – is unlikely to be coincidental.

New Hungarian Government Takes Shape

Elsewhere, the new Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar is expected to be formally appointed today, with the new prime minister asking the president – a loyalist of Viktor Orbán – to stay out of the pictures. The symbolism is unmistakable: a new era is beginning in Budapest, and the old guard is being sidelined.

Magyar's pro-European government has already signaled a dramatic shift in Hungary's foreign policy, pledging to unlock frozen EU funds and rebuild relations with Kyiv. But the road ahead is long, and Orbán's loyalists remain entrenched across the state apparatus.

What Comes Next?

The ceasefire is dead. The drones are flying. The corruption scandal is widening. And in Brussels, European ministers are trying to figure out how to turn €90bn into weapons that can stop Russian attacks.

"Russia must end this war," Zelenskyy said. But Moscow shows no sign of stopping. And Ukraine's political establishment is now fighting on two fronts: against Russian drones, and against allegations of graft at the highest levels.

For Zelenskyy, the timing could not be worse. For Ukraine, the stakes could not be higher.

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