US EditionRussia and Ukraine Declare Separate Ceasefires Ahead of WWII Anniversary
Russia threatened a massive missile strike on Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the holiday pause, while Kyiv said it would begin a reciprocal truce earlier.
- On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8–9 to mark Victory Day, threatening a "massive missile strike" on Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts celebrations. Ukraine rejected the offer as "not serious," announcing its own "silence regime" starting the night of May 5–6.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin previously floated the ceasefire idea to U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to honor the 81st anniversary of the Great Patriotic War. Authorities recently pared down the Moscow parade, removing military hardware due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks.
- Emphasizing that "human life is incomparably more valuable than the 'celebration' of any anniversary," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the offer, stating his government received "no official appeal" from Russia. He urged Russian leaders to take real steps toward ending the war.
- Warning of "retaliatory, massive missile strikes," the Russian Defense Ministry urged civilians and foreign diplomatic missions to leave Kyiv promptly if commemorations are disrupted. This escalates security risks for the capital's residents during the holiday period.
- Past broken truces fuel Kyiv's skepticism as intense drone-dominated attacks continue despite the holiday pause. With Russian advances slowed since late 2025, the competing ceasefires underscore the deep mistrust between warring sides navigating the conflict's fourth year.
292 Articles
292 Articles
On Friday, Russia wants to keep its weapons silent. But before that, Ukrainian civilians are once again suffering from air strikes. But Ukraine is also attacking — it scored two significant goals. Source link: https://www.dw.com/de/vor-moskaus-waffenruhe-viele-opfer-bei-angriffen-in-ukraine/a-77052314?maca=de-rss-de-all-1119-rdf Author: Publish date: 2026-05-05 11:02:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked source.
Putin announced a ceasefire for May 8-9, but threatened Kiev. Zelensky responded by announcing an earlier ceasefire.
Putin, Zelenskyy proclaim rival ceasefires around Russia's Victory day commemorations
Russia had proclaimed a brief ceasefire last month for Orthodox Easter but each side accused the other of violating it. Ukraine had been wary of the notion of a brief ceasefire
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
