The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday announced a two-day ceasefire on May 8 and 9 to mark the end of World War II in Europe, calling on Ukraine to follow suit while warning that any attempt to disrupt the celebrations would be met with a major retaliatory strike on the centre of Kyiv.

The ministry pointed in particular to remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan on Monday, which it characterised as containing threats to target Moscow during the Victory Day events. Zelensky was quoted as saying that Moscow feared Ukrainian “drones may buzz over Red Square.”

Russia said it would take all necessary measures to secure the celebrations and warned that if Ukraine attempted to disrupt them, “the Russian Armed Forces will launch a major retaliatory strike on the centre of Kyiv.” The ministry added that it had so far refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons and urged residents of the Ukrainian capital and foreign diplomats to leave the city “in a timely manner.”

Speaking to journalists earlier on Monday, Zelensky branded the two-day pause “unfair” and said Moscow had only discussed a potential truce with the United States. He referenced a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in late April during which Putin informed his American counterpart of the Victory Day ceasefire plans.

Shortly after the Russian announcement, Zelensky said on X that Ukraine would unilaterally declare a ceasefire starting at midnight on the night of May 5-6 and would “act reciprocally” thereafter, despite what he described as the absence of any official appeal from Russia.

Russia has previously called pauses during religious and national holidays through the course of the conflict. Last year, Moscow halted offensive operations in early May to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Last month, Russia declared an Easter truce that the Defence Ministry said was violated by Ukrainian forces more than 6,500 times within 32 hours.

Source: NewsFirst