Russia Announces Victory Day Ceasefire, Says It Will Strike Kyiv if Violated

Monday, Russian missile attacks struck eastern and southern Ukraine, resulting in civilian deaths. In the town of Merefa near Kharkiv, a ballistic missile killed seven people, including men and women, and wounded dozens more, according to Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov.

He initially reported five fatalities but later updated the toll after two wounded men died in hospital. Synegubov noted that a two-year-old boy was among the injured but did not require hospitalization. The strike targeted civilian infrastructure far from the front line, in an area where Russian forces have been advancing after being pushed back in 2022.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, another attack on the village of Vilnyansk killed a married couple—a 51-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman—and wounded their 31-year-old son along with three others, as reported by governor Ivan Fedorov. Fedorov described the incident in Vilnyansk, located near the regional capital toward which Russian troops have been progressing.

Meanwhile, in Russia's Belgorod region, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed one civilian and wounded seven others, including a 10-year-old boy, in a border area. These incidents occurred as deadly attacks have increased in recent weeks, amid sidelined U.S.-led talks on ending the conflict due to the Iran war.

Day remains a significant holiday in Russia, commemorating the Soviet Union's enormous losses of 27 million people during World War II, known there as the Great Patriotic War. The event has traditionally showcased military might through parades, but this year's restrictions reflect ongoing security threats from the more than four-year conflict.

Putin has positioned the holiday as a pillar of national identity, using it to frame the current war. A similar unilateral ceasefire was declared for 72 hours starting May 7, 2025, with measures like blocking cellphone internet in Moscow to prevent attacks.

The current truce echoes that approach, though Ukraine's response introduces an earlier timeline. The defense ministry's warning about Kyiv included specific threats tied to any attempts to interfere with the May 9 celebrations. No immediate Ukrainian comment followed Russia's initial announcement, but Zelenskyy's later statement addressed the lack of formal notification.

Both sides continue to report cross-border incidents, with Russian forces focusing on territorial gains in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions.