Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine to coincide with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations has come into effect, according to Russian state media.
Ukraine, however, refused to recognise the truce, dismissing it as mere theatrics and instead calling for a 30-day ceasefire.
The temporary ceasefire began at midnight on Thursday (2100 GMT on Wednesday) and is expected to last until the end of Saturday, the Kremlin confirmed.
“The ceasefire… on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory has commenced,” reported Russia’s RIA state news agency.
In the hours leading up to the truce, both Moscow and Kyiv exchanged a barrage of aerial attacks. The strikes led to airport closures in Russia and left at least two people dead in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has stated that Russian forces will observe the ceasefire but have been instructed to respond “immediately” to any Ukrainian aggression.
Putin announced the three-day pause last month, describing it as a “humanitarian” gesture, following international calls—including pressure from the United States—to halt his prolonged military campaign against Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump, who has been seeking to broker a more enduring ceasefire since taking office, has so far been unsuccessful in securing meaningful concessions from the Kremlin.
In March, Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire and has since offered only limited gestures in response to diplomatic efforts.
Ukrainian officials have said they do not trust Russia to respect the latest truce, citing numerous breaches during a previous 30-hour ceasefire declared by Moscow over the Easter period.