Russia declares a truce in Ukraine to mark Victory Day. Kyiv says it’ll cease fire two days earlier

Russia’s Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, but it threatened to strike back at Kyiv if it tries to disrupt the Victory Day festivities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response said his country would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He did not put an end date on the truce.

The announcements on Monday come as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with due to what officials say are concerns over possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been launching drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter its more than 4-year-old invasion.

They also follow a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires 鈥� most recently around Orthodox Easter 鈥� that had little to no impact.

The Defense Ministry said if Ukraine attempts to disrupt Saturday’s celebrations, Russia will carry out a 鈥渕assive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.鈥� It warned the civilian population there and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of “the need to leave the city promptly.鈥�

Zelenskyy responded by saying that while Kyiv has not received any official requests for a truce, in the time left until midnight on Wednesday 鈥渋t is realistic to ensure鈥� that a ceasefire takes effect. He urged the Kremlin 鈥渢o take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia鈥檚 Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine鈥檚 goodwill.鈥�

For years, the Kremlin has used the pomp-filled Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, and it has been a source of patriotic pride.

But this year, the parade in the Russian capital will take place without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. Some of the smaller parades that are held elsewhere across the country have also been pared down or even canceled for security reasons.

Speaking at a summit with European leaders in Armenia on Monday, Zelenskyy said that the Russian authorities 鈥渇ear drones may buzz over Red Square鈥� on May 9. 鈥淭his is telling. It shows they are not strong now, so we must keep up the pressure through sanctions on them,鈥� he said.

remains a rare point of consensus in Russia’s divisive history under Communist rule. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it called the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.

on the 80th anniversary drew in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva and Slovakia鈥檚 Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Fico will attend the parade this year, as well.

Putin had declared a starting May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several days to avert Ukrainian drone attacks.

Last week, Putin floated the idea of a ceasefire for Victory Day this year, too, in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian media reported Monday that the country’s cellphone operators have begun to warn their customers of cellphone internet restrictions in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the coming days.