Long-range Russian attacks continue to kill Ukrainians amid ceasefire deadlock

FILE- A man cries at the trolleybus after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, Ukraine, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Volodymyr Hordiienko, file)

KYIV, Ukraine — Two months ago, following high-level talks between Ukrainian and American delegations in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the United States proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced on that same day that Ukraine was ready to accept the proposal, provided Russia did the same.

The Russian leader balked, saying a temporary break in hostilities would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals. Since then, Russia has continued its military campaign, maintaining attacks along the roughly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometre) front line and targeting civilian infrastructure. In some cases, it has stepped up its attacks on residential areas with no obvious military targets.

An Associated Press tally based on reports from Ukrainian authorities found at least 117 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in Russian aerial attacks since Ukraine announced on March 11 its willingness for a ceasefire — all of them attacks involving long-range drones and a variety of missiles.

The tally does not include casualties caused by short-range weapons, including mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, S-300 and S-400 ballistic missiles, drone-dropped explosives and aerial glide bombs, which Russia continues to use along the front line and nearby areas.

Ukrainian officials do not provide overall casualty figures nor do they release official figures on how many Ukrainian troops have been killed on the battlefield.

Among the deadliest attacks recently was a Russian ballistic missile that struck in the packed center of Sumy in northeast Ukraine on a busy Palm Sunday morning in mid-April. At least 35 people, including two children, were killed and around 120 wounded. Another blasted a playground in Zelenskyy’s hometown, killing 20 people including nine children.

A deadly barrage targeting the capital Kyiv prompted rare criticism from President Donald Trump for the Russian leader.

“Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

In the past two months, Putin has twice unilaterally declared a brief ceasefire, one for Easter and the other to mark Victory Day in World War II. Both were repeatedly violated.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued to launch droves of drones at Russian regions. This week, Russia’s Victory Day festivities were overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and triggering severe disruptions at the capital’s airports, as well as cellphone internet outages amid jamming aimed at foiling more potential attacks.

Here’s a look at some of the deadliest attacks by Russian troops targeting Ukraine since March, 11:

___

March 24: A Russian missile hit a densely populated area of Sumy, damaging 30 residential buildings and a school. Local authorities said 101 people were wounded, including 23 children.

April 3: Russian forces launch Shahed drones at a residential neighborhood in Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv. Regional officials reported five people killed and 34 others wounded. Among the victims was an entire family, including their 12-year-old daughter.

April 4: Russian forces carry out a combined missile and drone attack on a residential area in Kryvyi Rih that blasted a playground. According to local authorities, 20 people were killed, including nine children, and 74 others were wounded. The assault damaged more than 60 apartment buildings and private homes.

April 13: On a busy Palm Sunday morning, a Russian ballistic missile strikes Sumy city center filled with civilians, killing 35 people, including two children, and wounding 119. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Ukrainian civilians this year. The next day, Russia said it targeted a gathering of senior Ukrainian military officers. Putin later admitted it was a “civilian facility” but claimed it hosted an award ceremony for Ukrainian troops.

April 18: Three Russian cluster munitions struck Kharkiv, killing one man and wounding 113 people, including nine children. The strikes that happened during early morning hours could have potentially led to much higher casualty rates if conducted an hour later, city authorities said.

April 24: Russia struck Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed and 90 were hurt in the deadliest assault on the city since last July. In total, Russia launched 145 Shahed drones and 70 missiles in a single night over Ukraine.

April 29: At least 16 Russian Shahed drones struck Kharkiv, wounding 47 people, including two children and a pregnant woman. The city’s mayor reported direct hits on residential buildings and a medical facility.

May 2: Drones targeted at least four districts of Kharkiv city, injuring 47 people. One child was among the wounded.

Illia Novikov, The Associated Press