Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a unilateral three-day ceasefire in Ukraine next month, a move met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials who demanded the Kremlin leader immediately accept a longer truce proposal from the United States that he has so far rejected.

Ukrainian air defences shot down 40 out of 166 drones launched by Russia in multiple attacks on Monday, the Ukrainian air force said. It said in a statement that 74 Russian drones were redirected by electronic warfare.