Russia Declares Two-Day Unilateral Ceasefire in Ukraine for Victory Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine to observe Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The Russian Defense Ministry stated the pause would run from 0001 on May 9 to 0001 on May 11 and would allow safe commemorations.

According to NBC News, the announcement followed a phone conversation last week between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The ceasefire aligns with Russia's major national holiday on May 9. This year, authorities cited increased Ukrainian drone attacks as the reason to forgo displaying military hardware during the traditional parade in Moscow. Mobile internet services were cut in parts of Moscow ahead of the events.

NPR reported that Russia declared a truce in Ukraine to mark Victory Day. The Russian Defense Ministry said the measure was intended to allow both sides to honor the memory of those who fought in the Great Patriotic War.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Yerevan, Armenia, proposed that any ceasefire begin three days earlier. He stated that Ukraine would reciprocate a genuine ceasefire but accused Russia of violating past truces, including one agreed during Easter last month.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has previously reported Russian attacks on energy facilities during agreed pauses. Zelenskyy emphasized that any negotiations must involve Ukraine directly and noted that no official proposal had reached his government.

No publicly released evidence in the source bundle documents the specific casualty figures or attack details cited in some reporting on overnight strikes. The vessels' operators and exact targeting details have not been publicly detailed in the provided sources beyond general references to energy infrastructure.