Russia launched a wave of aerial attacks on Ukraine on Monday in an abrupt end to a fragile 30-hour Easter truce between the two sides.
The renewed strikes, confirmed by both Moscow and Kyiv, cast doubt on Donald Trump鈥檚 hopes for a broader ceasefire between the two sides, hours after the US President said he hoped a 鈥榙eal鈥� could be struck this week.
鈥榃ith the end of the ceasefire, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to conduct the special military operation,鈥� the Russian army said in a statement, using its term for the military offensive.
Each side had in any case accused the other of thousands of violations of the ceasefire, announced by Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
Just hours after the truce ended at midnight local time (2100 GMT) Sunday, Ukrainian officials reported renewed drone and missile strikes on the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
Sergiy Lysak, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said Russia had 鈥榣aunched drones鈥� at the eastern region.
One home was damaged and a fire broke out at a food establishment, but no injuries had been reported, he said on Telegram.
Ukraine鈥檚 air force said it had downed 42 Russian attack drones in an overnight attack starting at 2:00am Monday (2300 GMT Sunday).
The surprise 30-hour ceasefire was declared by Putin on Saturday, who said it was motivated by 鈥榟umanitarian reasons鈥�.
Both sides accused each other of numerous violations, but also reported a fall in the intensity of the fighting.
Ukraine鈥檚 president Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday the ceasefire had seen a halt to air attacks, but accused Moscow of carrying out hundreds of front line raids.
Russia鈥檚 defence ministry in turn said it had 鈥榬epelled鈥� Ukrainian assaults and accused Kyiv of launching hundreds of drones and shells, causing civilian casualties.
But it too said the intensity of fire from the Ukrainian side had been 鈥榗onsiderably reduced鈥� across the entire front line during the truce.
AFP journalists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday heard fewer explosions than usual and saw no smoke on the horizon.
Putin鈥檚 ceasefire declaration came after Trump said Friday he would end Washington鈥檚 efforts to halt the war unless the two sides moved towards an accord.
On Sunday he expressed hopes the two sides could strike an agreement in the coming days, though he did not elaborate on what he had in mind.
鈥楬opefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,鈥� he said on his Truth Social platform.
Trump had earlier tabled a ceasefire proposal, which was accepted by Ukraine but rebuffed by Russia.
Asked about Trump鈥檚 remarks on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow 鈥榟opes鈥� US efforts 鈥榳ill yield results鈥�, but he declined to comment on the timeline of negotiations.
Zelensky has repeatedly offered a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which Putin rejected following a call with Trump last month.
The Ukrainian leader on Sunday proposed a more limited agreement to halt 鈥榓ny strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure鈥� for at least 30 days.
Beijing on Monday said it welcomed 鈥榓ll efforts鈥� towards pausing the fighting.
鈥楥hina is pleased to see all efforts that lead to a ceasefire, which is a necessary step towards peace,鈥� foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told journalists.
鈥榃e hope that all parties concerned will continue to resolve the crisis through dialogue and negotiations,鈥� he added.
Ukraine last week accused China of supplying weapons to Russia and said that at least 155 Chinese nationals had been recruited to fight alongside Russia鈥檚 army.
Beijing denied its citizens had been recruited en masse by Russia and urged Chinese nationals not to take part in armed conflict.