Russia and Ukraine Accuse Each Other of Violating 72-Hour Ceasefire

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine expired on Monday with both sides accusing each other of violations during the 72-hour arrangement. Ukrainian authorities said Russian drones, bombs and artillery shelling struck civilian areas of the northeastern Kharkiv and southern Kherson regions on Monday, killing at least two people and wounding seven others.

Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Kyiv of committing more than 1,000 ceasefire violations, according to state media reports. The pause was intended to mark Victory Day, the Russian holiday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Trump had said the break in fighting could be the beginning of the end of the war and that it would include an exchange of prisoners.

Zelenskyy said an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side is being prepared. Data from NASA observations indicated that military activities decreased but did not stop after the announcement, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

There are no signs that the two sides are ready to move from their key negotiating positions. Putin wants all of the Donbas region, Ukraine's industrial heartland, even though his army has not completely captured it. Zelenskyy has said he will not surrender the territory.

Zelenskyy has offered a ceasefire and a face-to-face meeting with Putin. The Russian leader has ruled that out until a negotiated settlement is almost finalized. Putin suggested at the weekend that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder could act as a mediator.

German and European officials rejected the possibility of Schröder serving as a mediator. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc must first agree on its own objectives before negotiating with the Kremlin. "Before we discuss with Russia, we should discuss amongst ourselves what we want to talk to them about," she told reporters in Brussels.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined EU foreign ministers for the Brussels meeting. He said Europe could play a role while emphasizing the need for U.S. leadership. Sybiha noted that in recent months Ukraine has improved its performance on the battlefield, reducing the larger Russian army to a slow and costly advance along the 1,250-kilometer front line.

Sybiha said Ukraine has used domestically developed long-range drones and missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia. "We have a new reality on the battlefield ... Ukraine became stronger after the most difficult winter," he said. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Monday for an unannounced visit focused on defense cooperation.

Ukraine's Sybiha said he spoke with officials from Latvia about recent drone incidents there. Investigations determined that Russian electronic warfare had deliberately diverted Ukrainian drones from their intended targets inside Russia. Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to working with the Baltic states and Finland to prevent similar incidents and offered the direct involvement of Ukrainian specialists.

Estonia, Poland and Romania have also reported stray drones landing on their territory.