Ukraine ceasefire unravels as both sides report violations

The U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine showed immediate signs of deterioration on its second day, with both nations accusing each other of violations through weekend attacks that left at least three civilians dead and dozens wounded across eastern Ukraine. The three-day pause, announced Friday by President Donald Trump as part of a broader U.S.-led peace initiative, was meant to halt military operations and include a prisoner exchange of 1,000 captives from each side, but the agreement quickly unraveled amid persistent hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Sunday that while Russia had refrained from large-scale aerial and missile strikes, its forces continued ground assaults along sections of the front line where Russian troops are advancing. "In other words, the Russian army is not observing any silence on the front and is not even particularly trying to," Zelenskyy said in his evening address, noting that Ukrainian troops were actively defending their positions. Ukraine's General Staff reported nearly 210 battlefield clashes along the sprawling 1,200-kilometer front line since early Saturday, while regional officials confirmed three civilians were killed in Russian drone attacks targeting the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions. Russia's Defence Ministry countered by accusing Ukraine of widespread violations, claiming Kyiv had committed more than 16,000 ceasefire breaches within 24 hours, including thousands of drone attacks on civilian infrastructure. The ministry stated it had downed 57 Ukrainian drones and "responded in kind" on the battlefield. Russia has pressed its offensive to capture the remaining portions of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow has demanded Kyiv cede before considering an end to the war. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Moscow soon to continue diplomatic efforts, while German officials on Sunday rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder coordinate peace talks with the European Union. The war, which began after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has become Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, with peace talks stalled over territorial demands and control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.