The Kremlin announced it will implement a two-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting at midnight on Friday, Moscow time, in honour of the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.
Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the truce during a press briefing, specifying the dates as 8 and 9 May.
Kyiv had previously declared its own ceasefire beginning Wednesday but accused Moscow of rejecting the proposal and continuing its attacks.
Peskov stated Russia had not responded to Ukraine’s offer, providing no further details.
He also mentioned that Russian security services had introduced additional measures nationwide to ensure smooth Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, citing a “terrorist threat” from Ukraine.
Regarding recent internet disruptions in Moscow, Peskov reassured citizens, explaining the outages were necessary for public safety, which he described as a “top priority.”
On Wednesday, Russia urged foreign embassies to evacuate diplomats and nationals from Kyiv, warning of “inevitable retaliatory strikes” if Ukraine interferes with Saturday’s celebrations of Victory Day, observed in Russia on 9 May.
Russia announced on Thursday that it had shot down 347 Ukrainian drones across its territory since Wednesday evening, a particularly high number of attacks that left one person dead in a region bordering Ukraine, according to local authorities.
The drones, which targeted around 20 Russian regions, including Moscow, were “intercepted and destroyed” between 9.00 pm and 7.00 am Moscow time (8.00 pm to 6.00 am GMT), according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.
In the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, a woman was killed in a drone attack in the Chebekino district, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, adding that two men were also injured there.
Thirteen people were also injured in Ukrainian strikes that hit residential buildings in the city of Bryansk, about 100 kilometres from the border, on Thursday night, local governor Aleksandr Bogomaz announced.
Ukraine had denounced Russian attacks on its territory on Wednesday despite a ceasefire proposed by Kyiv, which had promised to respond “symmetrically” to any violation.
