On May 4, Russian President Putin announced a 2-day ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine on May 8-9 to commemorate Russia's victory in World War 2.
However, Ukrainian President Zelensky responded with a separate ceasefire proposal, starting earlier, from the night of May 5-5.
President Vladimir Putin previously mentioned the possibility of a ceasefire coinciding with the 81st anniversary of Victory Day in a phone call last week with US President Donald Trump.
In a post on Telegram, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced a 2-day ceasefire on May 8-9 and expects Ukraine to also proceed similarly. Russia will take all measures to ensure the safety of activities commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War.
Russia also warned that any attempt by Ukraine to sabotage commemorative activities would lead to a large-scale missile response to the center of Kiev. Russia noted that it had previously been able to carry out a similar attack but "had exercised restraint for humanitarian reasons".
Meanwhile, after attending the European Political Community conference in Armenia, President Zelensky wrote on Telegram that Ukraine would implement a separate ceasefire starting from 0:00 on May 5.
He noted that Russia has not responded to Ukraine's calls for a long-term ceasefire. "We declare a state of silence starting from 0:00 PM on May 5 to 6:00 AM on May 6," he wrote.
Mr. Zelensky did not specify the deadline for ending the ceasefire, but said Ukraine would act commensurately from the time it was stated.
Last month, Russia also announced a short ceasefire during Orthodox Easter, but the two sides accused each other of violations.
Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9. This is a major national holiday, marking the time when the Soviet Union signed documents on the German surrender in 1945. Usually, Russia organizes military parades, but this year's anniversary will not have the usual military equipment due to concerns about increased terrorist activities.
