What did Kyiv's war look like on 24 May 2024?

What was the state of the war on 24 May 2024? The days around that date combined continued strikes on both sides, a large aid pledge and a report about possible talks.

On 24 May 2024, sources claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was interested in negotiating a ceasefire that would freeze the conflict at the current frontlines.

Strikes on both sides

The fighting continued in the preceding days. On 23 May 2024, Russian missile strikes on Liubotyn and Kharkiv killed seven people and injured at least 28 others. The strikes fell within what was described as the 2024 Kharkiv offensive.

The same day, a Ukrainian missile strike on Alushta, in Crimea, killed at least two people. Explosions were reported across the peninsula, and Ukrainian media reported that multiple targets had been hit.

On 22 May 2024, Ukrainian shelling in Lysychansk, in Luhansk Oblast, killed at least two people and injured four.

Aid and a humanitarian exchange

Also on 22 May 2024, Sweden announced US$7 billion in military aid to Ukraine for the period from 2024 to 2026. The pledge set a multi-year horizon for support at a time when strikes were still causing casualties on both sides of the front.

The same day brought a smaller, humanitarian development: Russia returned six Ukrainian children displaced by the war, in a deal brokered by Qatar.

Reading the moment

The reported interest in a freeze at current lines sat alongside a long-term aid commitment and continued missile and shelling casualties. The ceasefire report came from unnamed sources, and the days around it showed no pause in the violence. A freeze at the existing frontlines would, by definition, leave in place the positions held at the time, which is why such a proposal mattered to both sides.