Russia said Monday it would hold a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and Saturday, but warned that it would launch a massive missile strike on Kyiv if Ukraine tried to disrupt Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations. The Russian Defense Ministry also told civilians in Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city promptly.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy answered with a truce of his own, saying Ukraine would observe a ceasefire beginning at 12 a.m. on Wednesday and would respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He did not say when Ukraine’s pause would end.
The dueling announcements land as Russia prepares to mark the 81st anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II with a military parade on Red Square in Moscow. For the first time in nearly two decades, the parade will go ahead without tanks, missiles or other military equipment, and some smaller Victory Day marches elsewhere in Russia have been pared back or canceled over security worries.
The timing also reflects how little trust surrounds any Ukraine ceasefire offer in this war. Putin declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and floated the idea of a Victory Day ceasefire last week in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, but previous efforts, including around Orthodox Easter, had little to no effect. Ukraine, meanwhile, has been pressing its own attacks deep inside Russia as a response to Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion.
Zelenskyy said it was realistic to ensure Russia took real steps to end the war, especially if the Kremlin feared drones might buzz over Red Square. He said that showed Moscow was not strong now and that sanctions pressure should continue. Whether either side’s pause will hold long enough to matter is the question hanging over a holiday built to project strength.
