Russian Air Strikes Target Kyiv As Zelenskyy Calls For 30-Day Cease-Fire

Moscow launched air strikes against Kyiv hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-day cease-fire surrounding its May 9 Victory Day remembrances -- a proposal dismissed by Kyiv as "theater."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered late on May 3 by calling for a more substantial pause in military action, saying Kyiv was seeking a 30-day "complete silencing" of arms and was ready to act immediately if Moscow reciprocated.

"We are ready to move to a cease-fire as soon as possible, even from today, if Russia is ready for mirror steps -- for complete silencing, for a long silence for at least 30 days," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

"This is an honest deadline when the next steps can be prepared. Russia must stop the war and stop assaults, stop shelling," he added.

The comments come as Russia maintains its relentless assault of Ukrainian military and civilian sites.

Shortly after midnight and through the morning of May 4, Ukraine military and government officials said a Russian drone attack damaged several residential buildings and ignited fires in the capital.

Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram that falling debris from destroyed Russian drones ignited fires in homes in Kyiv's Obolonskiy and Sviatoshynskiy districts.

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He said at least two children -- aged 14 and 17 -- were injured in the Obolonskiy attacks.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko sent out an appeal for doctors to aid in assisting victims in the Sviatoshynskiy district.

The scale of the attack was not immediately clear. Reuters said witnesses reported hearing explosions and what appeared to be air defense systems operating.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week suggested a three-day truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, running from May 8 to May 10.

Zelenskyy has long stated that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day truce as proposed by Washington.

Speaking to reporters on May 2, Zelenskyy said Putin's offer was aimed at making international guests feel safe at the annual Red Square parade on May 9.

Among those slated to attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"We do not recommend visiting Moscow on May 9. Don't ask us for assurances. It's your choice to go there," Zelenskyy said.

Russian T-90M tanks travel through Moscow during a rehearsal for the May 9 Victory Day parade.

In his address on May 3, Zelenskyy said, "Right now, no one sees any such readiness from Russia; on the contrary, all of their internal rhetoric is increasingly mobilizing, and Russian propagandists continue to threaten not only Ukraine but also other neighbors -- Lithuania, the other Baltic states."

"This is exactly what we have been saying for a long time: Without pressure on Moscow, Russia will continue to wage war."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted a clear answer to its three-day cease-fire suggestion.

"We will, of course, await not ambiguous but definitive statements and, most importantly, actions aimed at deescalating the conflict over the public holidays," Peskov said.

Despite the talk of cease-fire, Russia maintained the intensity of its attacks on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian General Staff said 216 combat clashes had taken place at the front on May 2 and that more than a third of the fighting was recorded in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Ukrainian authorities saying they had repelled 83 attacks.

The area around the strategic town of Pokrovsk remains one of the heavily contested areas at the front with the largest number of combat clashes being recorded there over the past year.

Vadym Filashkin, head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that in the town of Myrnohrad late on May 3, "the Russians killed a 56-year-old man and damaged six private houses. The second fatality was a 69-year-old resident of Komar."

Also, a correspondent for the Radio Liberty Donbas Realities project reported that a Russian attack on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region led to fires breaking out in several private homes. Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack.

Ihor Taburets, governor of the Ukrainian region of Cherkasy, late on May 3 said that "since nightfall, our region has been under enemy targeting. Most of the Russian attack drones were directed at the regional center."

He said initial reports indicated that an infrastructure facility was damaged but that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

With reporting by Reuters