Russia faced an unrelenting six-hour barrage of Ukrainian drones in the hours before the landmark Victory Day ceasefire was declared by Donald Trump.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that 71 Ukranian drones were intercepted and destroyed during a frantic period between 2.00PM and 8.00PM Moscow time on Friday, May 8.
Less than two hours later President Trump took to Truth Social to announce a three-day ceasefire deal and prisoner exchange between the two warring nations.
Drones were intercepted above Moscow as preparations for the large-scale Victory Day celebrations were underway. Putin had enforced a sweeping security lockdown in the capital, with snipers and machine gunners positioned on the Kremlin’s towers overlooking Red Square fearing the May 9 event would be a target for Ukraine.
The Russian Military confirmed the drone bombardment in a statement and said: “Air defense alert systems intercepted and destroyed 71 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Kaluga, Tula, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Ryazan, Rostov, Voronezh, and Oryol regions, the Moscow region, and the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, as well as over the Black Sea.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the truce on X, and said the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange was more important than targeting Moscow.
He said: “Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home.
“That is why today, within the framework of the negotiating process mediated by the American side, we received Russia’s agreement to conduct a prisoner exchange in the format of 1,000 for 1,000.”
Security around the May 9 Victory Day celebrations had been stepped up after a Ukrainian drone struck an elite high-rise building near the Kremlin this week.
It has been reported that Putin’s paranoia had intensified in recent days, with the Russian leader even going as far as to ban officials from wearing wristwatches in meeting, fearing a “007-style” attack.
