Ukraine is bracing for new attacks as the end of a short ceasefire with Russia brokered by US President Donald Trump approaches on Monday.
"We can see that Russia has no intention of ending this war," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message posted on his website. "We are preparing for new attacks, unfortunately."
Trump had declared a three-day ceasefire lasting from Saturday to Monday linked to celebrations in Russia marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Nazi Germany.
On the third and final day, the warring parties largely refrained from airstrikes, though they both continued to report numerous violations, each saying the other side had made the first move. This was a similar pattern as seen during a previous ceasefire over Orthodox Easter in mid-April.
With the ceasefire set to expire on Monday, there is still no sign of a permanent end to the fighting, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
Ukraine has been supported in its defensive struggle by Western partners including the European Union. Zelensky said on Monday that Kiev expects the first tranches of a €90-billion ($106-billion) EU loan that was given the green light last month to be disbursed in June.
