Overview
- Ukraine, which disclosed Monday it would start a ceasefire at 00:00 Wednesday local time, said it will match Russia’s behavior and left any extension up to Moscow.
- Russia declared a two‑day pause for May 8–9 tied to Victory Day and warned of a “massive missile” strike on central Kyiv, urging civilians and foreign missions to leave the city.
- Following Tuesday’s deadly missile and drone attacks that hit Zaporizhzhia, Kramatorsk, Dnipro and Nikopol, Ukrainian officials reported more than 20 civilians killed and dozens injured.
- Long‑range Ukrainian drones reached deep into Russia, including a strike on a Moscow high‑rise and reported hits in Crimea, while Russia said its defenses downed hundreds of drones across many regions.
- The dueling pauses follow short, often‑broken truces in 2025, as Kyiv keeps pressing for a 30‑day halt that Moscow rejects and as Putin’s Victory Day idea was raised in a call with President Trump last week.