Russia has proclaimed a unilateral truce of two days with Ukraine, for the dates 8 to 9 May, coinciding with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations while warning of an unprecedented missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine fails to abide by the truce.
The Russian Defence Ministry made the announcement on Monday, stating it through the government sponsored social media platform MAX.
The Russians went as far as to warn in explicit terms that if Ukraine tried to sabotage the celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Second World War, then Russia would be compelled to retaliate with an overwhelming missile attack on the central parts of Kyiv.
The Ministry advised both the residents of Kyiv and the diplomatic staff from other countries based there to vacate the city immediately.
Vladimir Putin had initially broached the idea of a temporary truce on the phone to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, during one of their recent conversations.
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However, when the Russian announcement regarding the truce came through social media instead of official channels, Ukraine did not seem impressed.
Zelensky fires back with an earlier ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the Russian proposal as “not serious” saying Moscow feared Ukrainian drones would fly over Red Square during the parade.
But rather than accepting Russia’s timetable, Zelensky declared that Ukraine would announce its own ceasefire from midnight on the night of 5 to 6 May.
He said it was possible to ensure silence within that period and that Kyiv would reciprocate from then onwards.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha supported the idea, writing on X that peace “can’t wait until parades and celebrations” and calling it a serious proposal to end the war and get back to diplomacy.
Last month was no exception, as Russia declared an Easter ceasefire which both sides claimed the other side had violated.
The ultimatum to Kyiv occurred on a day when bloodshed persisted on the frontline.
According to reports by Ukrainian authorities, Russian bombings claimed nine lives in Ukraine on Monday, including seven from one particular bombing attack which also took the life of a child.
On the other hand, a Ukrainian drone hit a residential skyscraper in a posh area of Moscow city late into the night.
The missile managed to penetrate the defenses of the capital but caused no injuries, reports Russian Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
In anticipation of Ukraine drones’ long range attacks, Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that there will be no military equipment during its annual parade on Victory Day this year.
Quietly, the momentum on the battlefield has shifted.
The Institute for the Study of War said that April was the first month since a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 in which Russia lost more territory than it gained in Ukraine.
The question is whether any of these competing ceasefires will hold. As Zelensky put it, May 6 will tell whether Moscow really wants peace or just its parade.
