Moscow, Russia – The Kremlin announced a two-day ceasefire with Ukraine, beginning at midnight between Thursday and Friday. This coincides with Victory Day celebrations and the annual military parade scheduled for May 9th.
Dmitry Peskov stated that the ceasefire would cover May 8th and 9th.
He also emphasized that the decision aims to ensure no fighting occurs during the official festivities.
Russian warning to Kyiv
The Kremlin warned foreign missions in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, that Russian forces might target the city
if Ukraine launched attacks against Russian territory during the holiday period.
In response, the European Union reaffirmed its position and stated
that it would not alter its diplomatic presence in Kyiv despite the Russian warnings.
EU spokesperson Anouar El Announi described the Russian threats as part of what he termed “escalation tactics.”
He also emphasized the EU’s continued support for Ukraine.
Kyiv rejects the ceasefire
The Kremlin announcement came after Moscow ignored a previous Ukrainian ceasefire proposal.
Kyiv, in turn, dismissed the Victory Day truce as “a farce” given the ongoing military operations.
Peskov said Moscow saw no need to respond to the Ukrainian statements.
He also confirmed that Russian security services had raised their level of preparedness to secure the celebrations,
particularly in light of what he described as the “terrorist threat” emanating from Ukraine.
Tight security measures
The Kremlin indicated that the frequent internet outages in Moscow over the past few days
were part of security measures aimed at protecting citizens and infrastructure during the holiday period.
These developments come amid escalating drone attacks by Kyiv against targets inside Russian territory.
Meanwhile, the war between the two sides has continued for more than four years.
