The ceasefire, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in honor of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, began at 0:00 tonight. It will last until May 10.
During this time, fighter jets will not strike at the locations of the Ukrainian armed forces or at facilities of the military-industrial complex deep in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry stressed that Russia expects the Ukrainian side to follow suit. The department noted Volodymyr Zelensky's threats on Thursday to strike Moscow during the Victory Day celebrations.
The Defense Ministry stressed that if Ukraine "attempts to carry out its criminal plans to disrupt the celebrations" on Victory Day, the Russian armed forces will launch a retaliatory strike on the center of Kiev. They stressed that “Russia, despite its existing capabilities, has previously refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons“.
The Defense Ministry warned civilians in Kiev and employees of foreign diplomatic missions to immediately leave the city in case of a retaliatory strike.
Since the beginning of the night, Russian forces have shot down 20 drones flying towards the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.