By TOM BALMFORTH and YULIA DYSA Reuters
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KYIV — Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Thursday Russia had repeatedly violated its own 3-day ceasefire hours after it began and called the initiative a “farce”, while Moscow said Kyiv had continued fighting.

There was, though, a drop-off in combat activity after the ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin came into force in the early hours of Thursday, with a respite in the drone and missile attacks that had rattled Ukrainian cities earlier this week.

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“Predictably, Putin’s ‘Parade ceasefire’ proves to be a farce,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X, referring to the truce which coincides with a May 9 parade on Moscow’s Red Square to commemorate the end of World War Two.

“Russian forces continue to attack across the entire frontline,” Sybiha wrote. “From midnight to midday, Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations and 63 assault operations, 23 of which are still ongoing.”

He said Kyiv was notifying the United States and European states about Russia’s actions.

The Russian defence ministry, cited by Interfax news agency, said that Ukraine, in turn, had carried out 488 attacks on Russian targets and twice tried to break through the border in the Kursk region.

The two sides did not immediately comment on each other’s battlefield reports, which Reuters could not independently confirm.

A late night report issued by the General Staff of Ukraine’s military nearly 24 hours in the proclaimed ceasefire said 154 clashes had been recorded. Russian forces, it said, had launched one missile attack and 15 air strikes.

The governor of southeastern Zaporizhzhia region said a Russian drone had struck a car in the south of the region, killing a passenger.

In central Poltava region, the head of the regional military administration said air defence units had downed a missile deployed by Russian forces. The missile damaged private homes, but caused no casualties.

Ukraine has not committed to abide by the ceasefire, calling it a ruse by Putin to create the impression he wants to end the war, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin says he is committed to achieving peace.

Reuters journalists with a Ukrainian drone unit near the front in eastern Ukraine said a small Russian infantry raiding party had tried to advance on Thursday, but had been stopped by drones piloted by members of the unit.