Russian troops will use ‘May truce’ to regroup and reinforce - Voloshyn

Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, said this on Ukrainian television, Ukrinform reports.

"The so-called (Easter – ed.) truce or ceasefire was nothing but a pretense. We observed the enemy engaging in regrouping, strengthening their defenses, evacuating casualties, and optimizing logistics. The following day, artillery attacks surged by 25%, accompanied by a noticeable increase in ammunition usage during those strikes. Moreover, kamikaze drone strikes saw an uptick of 12–15%. The enemy used the ceasefire to carry out all these regroupings and logistical reinforcements of its units without encountering significant obstacles,” Voloshyn said.

Additionally, Voloshyn noted that Russian forces continued reconnaissance efforts and attempted to breach minefields in certain areas, although the Defense Forces successfully thwarted their attempts.

He added that the truce announced by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for May 9 is likely to serve as a chance for the occupiers to strengthen their positions.

"During these three days, when the top military and political leadership of the Russian Federation proposes a 'truce,' I believe it (the enemy – ed.)will simply use it as an opportunity to reinforce their forces," Voloshyn emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, Putin announced a “truce” from May 8 to 10 in honor of Victory Day, a significant holiday in Russia. For this period, all hostilities on the part of the Russian Federation will allegedly be suspended.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that a ceasefire does not need to wait until May 8, as Putin proposed, but can and should be implemented immediately.