Ukraine war update: Maritime drone takes down Russian fighter jet for the first time, according to Kyiv.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has reported that it successfully used missiles launched from a Seabone drone to take down Russian SU-30 fighter jets, claiming it marks the first instance of a fighter plane being shot down by a maritime drone. A statement from Gur on social media indicated that the jets were downed on Friday in waters near Novorosisk, a key port city in the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet addressed Ukraine’s assertions, though a prominent Russian blogger, thought to be knowledgeable about the area, confirmed the jet’s destruction. “The pilot was ejected and met by civilian sailors,” shared the blogger, Rybar, on Telegram. In other developments, the Mayor of Novorosisk announced a state of emergency after local officials reported that the Ukrainian drone strike caused damage to grain terminals and several residential buildings, resulting in five injuries.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed a three-day ceasefire suggested by Vladimir Putin, labeling it a tactic, although Kyiv indicates it is open to a full ceasefire. “This feels like a theatrical performance, as it’s unrealistic to devise a strategy to end the war in just a few days,” the Ukrainian president remarked in a statement on Saturday. Moscow aims to secure an armistice that aligns with the commemoration of World War II on May 9th, ostensibly to gauge Kyiv’s readiness for lasting peace. Dmitry Medvedev, vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, warned on Saturday that if Ukraine attacks Moscow on May 9, it wouldn’t guarantee Kyiv’s safety for May 10. Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine wouldn’t engage in maneuvers that might create a favorable setting for Putin on that date. The Kremlin has rebuffed proposals from Kyiv and Washington for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

A Russian drone attack overnight in Kyiv damaged multiple residential structures and ignited car fires, according to military officials in the Ukrainian capital. Debris from the destroyed drone set off flames in residential areas of Oboronsky and Sviatoshynskyi in Kyiv. Timur Tkachenko noted that several vehicles were also engulfed in flames from falling drone fragments. Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned on Telegram that emergency services were called to the Sviatoshynskyi district, located west of the city center, where medical assistance was provided. Air raid alerts rang out in the surrounding area and the eastern part of Ukraine for approximately an hour starting midnight local time (2100 GMT).

Over the weekend, two individuals were killed due to Russian artillery fire in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, while another person lost their life in a drone strike in the southern city of Kherson, local authorities reported. In the central region of Cherkassy, the late drone attack on Saturday resulted in some fires, according to Governor Ihor Tablett, who mentioned that there were preliminary reports of injuries.