Zelensky demands “total cease-fire” after deadly Russian drone strike

The Ukraine President said that the attack on Dnipropetrovsk is a “calculated war crime”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo credit: Office of the President – Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an urgent call for an “immediate, total, and unconditional cease-fire” on Wednesday, hours after a Russian drone strike targeted a civilian bus in southern Ukraine, killing nine people. The appeal came as his top advisor convened with Western allies in London to bolster support for Kyiv.

Governor Sergiy Lysak of Dnipropetrovsk released graphic images of the aftermath, showing a bus torn open by the blast, its roof shattered and bloodstains amid shattered glass. Zelensky condemned the assault as a “heinously brutal attack and a calculated war crime,” adding, “Stopping the killings is our paramount task.”

A view shows a bus damaged by a Russian drone strike.
A view shows a bus damaged by a Russian drone strike in the town of Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, April 23, 2025. Photo credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Officials confirmed nine fatalities and 49 injuries in the strike on Marganets, a city near the front lines. The attack marked one of the deadliest single incidents against civilians in recent weeks.

Zelensky reiterated offers for a partial halt to missile and drone strikes, stating, “We are ready for an immediate cease-fire, at least for civilian targets.” His appeal followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unexpected Easter truce declaration over the weekend, which saw a 30-hour lull in fighting.

Kyiv and its allies dismissed the Russian truce as a “Kremlin public relations maneuver,” accusing Moscow of lacking genuine interest in peace talks. The brief pause collapsed early this week, with Ukrainian air force officials reporting over 100 Russian drones launched overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

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