Russia Threatens Kyiv Strike, Declares May 8-9 Ceasefire

(MENAFN) Russia announced a unilateral two-day ceasefire with Ukraine spanning May 8 and 9, framing the pause in hostilities as a gesture of respect "in honor of the celebration of the Soviet people's victory in the Great Patriotic War" — while simultaneously threatening a devastating missile strike on the Ukrainian capital if Kyiv moves to disrupt Moscow's Victory Day commemorations.

The Russian Defense Ministry issued the declaration via Telegram, expressing hope that Ukraine would reciprocate. The statement, however, carried a sharp edge: officials cited remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "which contains threats to strike Moscow specifically on May 9," using them to justify an explicit military warning directed at Kyiv.

"If the Kyiv regime attempts to implement its criminal plans to disrupt the celebration of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Russian Armed Forces will launch a retaliatory, massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv," the ministry said.

Moscow went further, urging civilians and foreign diplomats to evacuate the city ahead of any potential escalation. "Russia, despite its capabilities, has previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons," it added. "We warn the civilian population of Kyiv and employees of foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city promptly."

As of the time of publication, Kyiv had issued no formal response to Russia's ceasefire proposal.

Zelenskyy, speaking at the 8th European Political Community summit held in Yerevan, Armenia's capital, revealed that ceasefire discussions for May 9 had already taken place between Washington and Moscow — entirely without Ukrainian participation. "You know, the Americans talked to the Russians about what could happen there on May 9—ceasefire or no ceasefire," media reported, quoting Zelenskyy. "No one officially contacted us, no one officially offered anything."

The Ukrainian leader also warned that domestic drone activity over Moscow remained a possibility on Victory Day, when Russia is scheduled to host its annual military parade. He noted that Russia would reportedly forgo a full-scale display of heavy military equipment at this year's event — a development he interpreted as a sign of strategic decline. According to Zelenskyy, this shows that Moscow is "no longer as strong as they used to be."

The diplomatic backdrop to the ceasefire announcement traces to a phone call earlier in the week, when Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke directly with US President Donald Trump, floating the idea of a temporary halt to fighting timed to the Victory Day period. Yury Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign affairs aide, confirmed that Trump endorsed the proposal.

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