The Russian Defense Ministry announced a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II, but threatened to retaliate against Kiev if Russia attempts to disrupt Victory Day celebrations.
Ukrainian President Zelensky responded that Ukraine will abide by the armistice agreement from 12 noon on Wednesday and will respond in kind to Russia’s actions from then on. He did not set an end date for the truce.
Monday’s announcement comes as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday with a reduction in traditional military parades in Moscow’s Red Square, which officials said were scaled back over concerns about possible attacks from Ukraine. Ukraine has been launching drone strikes inside Russia to fight back against more than four years of incursions.
They also followed a familiar pattern of previous attempts to secure ceasefires – most recently around Orthodox Easter – but had little impact.
The Defense Ministry said Russia would “launch a massive missile attack on the center of Kiev” if Ukraine tried to disrupt Saturday’s celebrations. It warned civilians there and staff of foreign diplomatic missions “that they need to leave the city immediately.”
Zelensky responded that while Kiev had not yet received any formal request for a ceasefire, it was realistic to “ensure” that the ceasefire came into effect before midnight on Wednesday. He urged the Kremlin to “take real steps to end the war, especially since the Russian Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a military parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”
For years, the Kremlin has used the spectacular Victory Day parades to showcase its military might and global influence and become a source of patriotic pride.
But this year, the parade in the Russian capital will be held without tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades. Some smaller parades elsewhere across the country have also been reduced or even canceled for safety reasons.
Speaking at a summit between Armenia and European leaders on Monday, Zelensky said Russian authorities were “concerned about the possibility of drones hovering over Red Square on May 9.” “That speaks volumes. It shows that they are not strong now, so we have to keep the pressure on them through sanctions,” he said.
World War II remains a rare point of consensus in the history of Russia’s divisions under communism. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, a huge sacrifice that left deep scars on the national psyche.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has made Victory Day a key pillar of his term and has sought to use the day to justify the war in Ukraine.
Last year’s 80th anniversary military parade attracted the largest number of global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Roberto Fico.
Fico will also be participating in the parade this year.
Putin announced a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting on May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked Moscow’s mobile phone networks for several days to avoid Ukrainian drone attacks.
Putin also floated the idea of a Victory Day ceasefire this year during a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump last week.
Russian media reported on Monday that the country’s mobile phone operators have begun warning their customers about mobile internet restrictions in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the coming days.
