Ceasefire in Russia: Victory Day to Be Celebrated Without Bombs

Russia Announces a Temporary Pause

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russia has declared a unilateral ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11. According to a statement from the Kremlin press service, the decision was made “based on humanitarian considerations” and ordered by the country’s supreme military commander, Vladimir Putin.

The Russian side emphasizes that all hostilities will be suspended during this period and urges Ukraine to follow their example. If not, the Kremlin warns, Russian forces “will respond adequately and effectively.”

Easter Experiences Raise Doubts

This is not the first time Russia has announced a temporary pause in fighting. During Easter earlier this year, a similar ceasefire was declared from April 19 to April 21. At the time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated that Ukrainian forces would act “in a mirror-like way,” but no complete halt to hostilities was observed.

Despite promises of peace, Russian troops used the Easter truce to evacuate casualties and strengthen their positions. According to Yurii Fedorenko, commander of the 429th Achilles Regiment: “The theater of operations remained unchanged. Russian forces continued to fire on Defense Forces positions with the forces and means available to them.”

Silence Covers Activity

While gunfire subsided in some areas during the Easter ceasefire, Russian forces exploited the pause for logistical operations. Among other things, they constructed a temporary crossing for heavy equipment over the Chornyi Zherebets River, an area controlled by Ukraine’s 66th Mechanized Brigade. Since the Russians did not officially violate the declared ceasefire, Ukrainian units were unable to intervene.

At the end of the Easter truce, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief reported that Russian forces had violated their own declared ceasefire 2,935 times in just a single day, with a massive number of artillery attacks, drone strikes, and assault actions recorded.

A Ceasefire With Reservations

Given the recent past, many doubt whether the May ceasefire will be any more respected than the last. In frontline areas like Pokrovsk, Siversk, and regions near Kursk, fighting continued unabated despite previous promises.

Whether the temporary peace during Victory Day will hold depends not only on official declarations but also on the parties’ willingness – or unwillingness – to halt the machinery of war, even if only for a few days.

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