As part of Russia’s observance of World War II Victory Day, President Vladimir Putin‘s order for a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine has officially taken effect, according to reports from Russian state media. The truce, which was strategically timed to coincide with the significant national commemoration, is seen as a temporary pause in the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine never agreed to the truce and has dismissed it as theatrics, calling instead for a 30-day ceasefire.
The three-day order began at midnight Thursday (2100 GMT on Wednesday) and is scheduled to last until the end of Saturday, according to the Kremlin.
“The ceasefire … on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory has begun,” Russia’s state RIA news agency reported.
Hours before Putin’s order was scheduled to enter force, Moscow and Kyiv traded a slew of aerial attacks, prompting airport closures in Russia and leaving at least two dead in Ukraine.
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The Kremlin has said Russian forces will honour Putin’s order to cease fire, but will respond “immediately” if Ukraine launches any attacks.
President Vladimir Putin framed the recently enacted truce with Ukraine as a “humanitarian” gesture when he announced it last month—an apparent nod to mounting diplomatic pressure from Washington to de-escalate his protracted, three-year military campaign.
Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has positioned himself as a mediator in the conflict, seeking to broker a durable ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. Despite repeated overtures, however, the White House has struggled to secure any substantive commitments from the Kremlin.
A proposed unconditional ceasefire, jointly advanced by the United States and Ukraine in March, was swiftly dismissed by Putin, who has since offered only minimal engagement with Trump’s peace initiative.
For its part, Ukraine remains deeply skeptical of Moscow’s intentions. Officials in Kyiv have cast doubt on Russia’s sincerity, pointing to what they claim were hundreds of ceasefire breaches during a 30-hour pause declared by Putin over Easter. The latest truce, they warn, may follow the same pattern of empty gestures and continued aggression under the cover of diplomacy.