The volley came just days before a planned parade in the capital to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, antiwar parents and some teachers say they are going to great lengths to shield children from state-mandated patriotic education classes.

A push to rename streets and remove statues associated with imperial Russia is dividing Odesa, whose identity is tied up in its history.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the proposal a “theatrical show” and said that such a short truce would not bolster negotiations for a lasting peace.

Russian strikes and fighting along the front line have killed far more civilians than over the same period a year ago, U.N. officials said in a presentation for diplomats in New York this week.

The two countries have vowed to expand bilateral relations after North Korea sent troops and weapons in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine.