Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, while warning it would retaliate if Kyiv sought to disrupt Victory Day events.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would observe a truce beginning at 12 a.m. Wednesday and mirror Russia’s actions from that time, though he did not specify an end date. He also said Kyiv had not received an official truce request from Moscow but called it “realistic” to ensure a ceasefire before midnight on Wednesday and urged the Kremlin to take genuine steps to end the war.
The announcements come as Russia prepares a scaled-back Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, citing fears of possible Ukrainian attacks. For the first time in nearly two decades, the Moscow parade will go ahead without tanks, missiles and other heavy equipment; some regional parades have been reduced or canceled for security reasons.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that if Ukraine tried to disrupt Saturday’s celebrations, Moscow would carry out a “massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv,” and urged civilians and foreign diplomatic staff to leave the city promptly. The warning echoes past ceasefire offers — including those around Orthodox Easter — that had little practical effect on fighting.
Kyiv has carried out drone strikes deep inside Russia in response to the more-than-four-year invasion, increasing Moscow’s concerns about attacks on symbolic targets. Speaking at a summit in Armenia, Zelenskyy said Russian authorities “fear drones may buzz over Red Square,” arguing that the anxiety exposes weakness and underscoring his call to keep pressure on Russia through sanctions.
Victory Day remains a potent symbol in Russia, where the Soviet Union’s enormous wartime losses — estimated at about 27 million — profoundly shape national memory. President Vladimir Putin has long used the holiday to showcase military strength and national unity and has invoked it to justify the campaign in Ukraine.
Last year’s 80th-anniversary parade drew more international leaders to Moscow than in years past, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who attended then, is expected to be at this year’s event as well.
Moscow has previously declared pauses in fighting: officials announced a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire beginning May 7, 2025, and authorities have at times restricted mobile internet in Moscow to deter drone strikes. Russian media reported cellphone operators notifying customers about possible mobile internet restrictions in Moscow and St. Petersburg in the coming days.
The latest truce offers and threats underscore the tense choreography around Victory Day — a blend of commemoration, domestic politics and military signaling as the war continues.