May 5, 2026
Russia announces Victory Day ceasefire, threatens missile strike on Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts celebrations
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on the evening of May 4 that Vladimir Putin had ordered a “ceasefire in honor of the Victory Day celebrations” on May 8 and 9. “We expect the Ukrainian side to follow this example,” the ministry said, warning that if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the celebrations, Russian armed forces would “deliver a retaliatory, massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.”
TL;DR
- Russia's Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire for May 8-9, honoring Victory Day celebrations.
- Russia threatened a massive missile strike on Kyiv if Ukraine disrupted the celebrations.
- Ukraine's President Zelensky declared a "silence regime" and stated no official ceasefire communication was received.
- The ceasefire proposal was previously floated on April 29, with conflicting claims from Putin and Trump about its origin.
- Russia's Victory Day parade was announced to take place without a column of military hardware.
- Attacks occurred from both sides shortly after the ceasefire announcements.
- Russia's Defense Ministry cited "humanitarian considerations" for refraining from certain actions, despite having the capability.