Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of violating the ceasefire that Kyiv had declared unilaterally.
Russia’s choice is an obvious rejection of silence and the preservation of lives, he wrote on social media. Since the start of the day, he said, Russian forces had carried out 1,820 active operations — shelling, assault attempts, and air strikes.
Ukraine made clear it would respond in kind, given Russia’s persistent appeals through media and social networks asking for quiet during the Moscow parade. It is obvious to any reasonable person that a full-scale war and the daily killing of people is a bad time for public “celebrations.”
Zelensky said he would decide on next steps based on the evening reports from the military and intelligence services.
Zelensky unilaterally declared a ceasefire beginning at midnight on May 6. Before that, Russia’s Defense Ministry had also unilaterally announced a “truce” for May 8–9.
Russia made no public comment on Zelensky’s ceasefire and did not promise to join it. Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, threatened a massive strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine did not agree to the May 8–9 “truce.”
This year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow will be held in a scaled-back format — no military hardware, no marching cadets from military academies, and a shortened program. The Kremlin directly linked the changes to the threat of attacks from Ukraine.
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