On the occasion of 'Victory Day'.. a two-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced, on Monday, a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Putin declared a ceasefire with Ukraine on May 8 and 9, coinciding with the celebration of the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The Ministry added that it counts on the Ukrainian side reciprocating, noting that Russia will launch large-scale missile strikes on central Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to disrupt the 'Victory Day' celebrations.

It said in a statement, 'Despite the capabilities available to us, Russia has previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons,' adding that it is ready to take measures if Kyiv does not respect the ceasefire.

It continued, 'We warn the civilian residents of Kyiv and the staff of foreign diplomatic missions. It will be necessary for them to leave the city in a timely manner.'

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a post on the X platform that the proposed ceasefire is 'not serious,' considering that Moscow fears Ukrainian drones flying over Red Square.

He added, 'To this day, no official request has been directed to Ukraine regarding the ceasefire mechanisms being discussed on Russian social media.'

He continued, 'In this regard, we announce the commencement of a ceasefire at exactly 00:00 on the night of May 5-6.'