The Russian Ministry of Defense declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th, in commemoration of the 81st anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II, but threatened retaliation against Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to interrupt the Victory Day celebrations.
In a statement issued on Monday, the 4th, the Ministry of Defense said it expected Ukraine to “set an example” with regard to the ceasefire for Russia’s most important secular holiday. There were no immediate comments from Ukrainian authorities.
Last week, authorities decided to suspend the traditional military parade at Red Square, in Moscow, citing concerns about possible Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has been carrying out drone attacks on Russian territory to curb the invasion that has lasted more than four years.
The Ministry of Defense stated that, if Ukraine attempts to interrupt Saturday’s celebrations, Russia will carry out a “massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv.” The ministry warned civilians and staff of foreign diplomatic missions about “the need to leave the city immediately.”
For years, the Kremlin has used the pompous Victory Day parade to display its military might and global influence, and it has also been a source of patriotic pride.
But the parade in the Russian capital will take place without tanks, missiles, and other military equipment for the first time in almost two decades. Some of the smaller parades held in other parts of the country were also fenced off by walls or even canceled for security reasons.
World War II remains a rare point of consensus in Russia’s troubled history under the communist regime. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it called the Great Patriotic War, between 1941 and 1945, a huge sacrifice that left a deep scar on the national psyche.
Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a fundamental pillar of his tenure and has attempted to use it to justify the war in Ukraine. Last year’s parade, held to commemorate the 80th anniversary, drew to Moscow the highest number of world leaders in a decade, including high-level guests such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting from May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked mobile internet in Moscow for several days to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks.
The Victory Day is a rare historical event revered by all Russian political actors in the post-Soviet era. Since 2023, Ukraine has moved away from the Russian tradition and has begun to celebrate the 1945 victory on May 8, as Western countries do.
