Russian troops take part in a rehearsal of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II - EPA.
Russia and Ukraine carried out a series of strikes overnight on Tuesday, just a day before Russia plans to initiate a ceasefire.
As a result of the attacks, most of Moscow's airports had to shut down, coinciding with the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping and other global leaders for a parade celebrating World War Two victory.
Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-day ceasefire that is set to start on May 8, in conjunction with the event.
Kyiv has dismissed the proposal as a "theatrical play" and has reiterated its demand for an unconditional ceasefire lasting 30 days.
Officials reported at least two fatalities in Kyiv on Tuesday night, prompting Volodymyr Zelensky to urge for "significantly intensified pressure on Russia."
A mother and her kid were killed in the Shevchenkivskyi neighborhood on Tuesday night, and seven others were injured when falling debris from wrecked drones caused fires in houses and buildings throughout three districts of Kyiv.
Zelensky claimed that Russia had attacked Ukraine overnight with 142 drones and four ballistic missiles. Emergency services have been established throughout the nation, especially in the areas of Kherson, Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr.
Russia "must be held accountable for its actions," and the Ukrainian president demanded "stronger sanctions" against it in a statement on X.
At least 14 Ukrainian drones were destroyed by Russian air defense troops, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. There have been no reports of damage.
Moscow has been the target of Ukrainian drone strikes for the third night in a row, and the city's main airports have been forced to close for several hours for the second night in a row.
According to the AFP news agency, at least 350 aircraft have been canceled or delayed throughout Russia.
It occurs just hours before Putin's ceasefire proposal from last month is set to go into effect at 0:00 local time on May 8 (22:00 BST on May 7). A large military parade honoring the 80th anniversary of World War Two is scheduled to take place at the same time.
Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, To Lam of Vietnam, and Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela are among the many foreign leaders who are expected to attend the ceremony in Moscow's Red Square.
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, is one of the 29 leaders scheduled to participate, according to a statement from Russia. Vucic has received a warning from Brussels that Serbia's EU membership talks would suffer if he attended.
Zelesnky issued a warning earlier this month that Ukraine could not ensure the security of anyone attending the march in Moscow. According to the Ukrainian news agency Interfax, he stated, "We cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation."
He referred to Putin's proposed truce as a "game" and a "manipulation" intended to safeguard the event.
Ukraine's foreign ministry has called the involvement of any foreign forces "unacceptable" and said that it would enable Moscow "whitewash its war crimes."
Of the 13 participating countries, China has the highest foreign military contingent, with 102 soldiers.
The honorary guest during the festivities will be Xi Jinping. In an essay for Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper on Wednesday, the eve of his anticipated visit, the Chinese president praised the "resilient" connection between China and Russia.
"The two sides should jointly resist any attempt to interfere with and undermine the China-Russia friendship and mutual trust," he stated.
During Jinping's four-day visit, the two countries are anticipated to sign several agreements to further their "no limits" partnership. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, China and Russia have become closer, as seen by their expanding economic and military cooperation.
The Kremlin declared China-Russia relations were "at their highest point" on Tuesday, calling them a "genuine example" of collaboration.
Celebrated as "The Great Patriotic War" in Russia, the 9 May Victory Parade honors Nazi Germany's 1945 capitulation to the Soviet Union during World War Two.
Putin has frequently used the victory to bring Russian society together in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, comparing its offensive to the struggle against the Nazis. It is Russia's most significant state holiday.
Putin's narrative and the exaltation of Russia's participation in defeating Nazi Germany have been rejected by Kyiv and Europe.
Ukraine's foreign ministry declared on Tuesday, "These individuals are occupiers and war criminals, not liberators of Europe."
World Wars I and II, as well as "today's war," are "conflicts we fought for the right to national existence, for the right of Ukrainians to establish themselves as a people," according to Yuriy Savchuk, director of Ukraine's battle Museum, who spoke to AFP.
On May 8, Europe and Ukraine will commemorate VE Day.
With Russia and Ukraine accusing one another of numerous violations, a previous 30-hour ceasefire over Easter regularly broke down.
Approximately 20% of Ukraine's land is currently under Russian control, including the southern Crimea peninsula that Moscow acquired in 2014. Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
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