A Kremlin-declared three-day ceasefire to coincide with Russia’s World War II Victory Day celebrations began at midnight on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order aims to mark the 80th anniversary of what Moscow calls the “Great victory.” The truce is set to run until the end of Saturday. Ukraine, however, has rejected the ceasefire outright. Officials in Kyiv called it a symbolic move with no genuine intent to stop the fighting. Instead, they have called for a longer, 30-day ceasefire—one that they believe could bring meaningful relief to civilians caught in the conflict. Ukrainian leaders argue that Russia has repeatedly violated previous ceasefire agreements, including a recent 30-hour pause over Easter, during which they allege hundreds of violations occurred. Even hours before the truce was due to begin, both sides exchanged aerial attacks. Ukrainian long-range drone attacks disrupted flights at Moscow’s main airports for the third day in a row on Wednesday. Russia closed several airports in anticipation of strikes, and Ukrainian authorities confirmed at least two deaths from Russian assaults. The Kremlin stated that Russian forces will observe the ceasefire unless attacked. The announcement follows failed attempts by US President Donald Trump to broker a more permanent peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. Trump had pushed for an unconditional ceasefire in March, which was rejected by Putin.
