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The three-day ceasefire is the second announced by Moscow in recent weeks, after it declared a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce - which Kyiv and its European allies accused it of breaching.
It will last from 8-11 May, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, and coincides with Russia’s WW2 Victory Day on 9 May. Russia will respond to any Ukrainian violations of the ceasefire and Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, Mr Petrov added.
Moscow is looking to win back favour with Donald Trump, after the US president said he was “very disappointed” in Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin following Moscow’s continued bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine.
Breaking: Putin announces temporary ceasefire over May public holidays
Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire for the May public holidays, the Kremlin has announced.
The ceasefire, lasting from 8-11 May, will coincide with Russia’s World War 2 Victory Day on 9 May.
Russia will respond to any Ukrainian violations of the ceasefire and Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Petrov said.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 12:20
Trump suggests Zelensky will let Putin take Crimea. Russia’s top diplomat calls it a ‘done deal’
Donald Trump has said he “thinks” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Russia as part of a peace deal.
"I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal," Trump told reporters at an airport in New Jersey.
Asked whether Kyiv was prepared to lose Crimea to Moscow, which Zelensky ruled out just last week in comments which sparked a renewed war of words, the U.S. president said: “I think so.”
Moscow, which has occupied Crimea since a ground invasion in 2014, has said it does not see the southern peninsula as being part of any negotiations.
Read the full report:
Alex Croft28 April 2025 12:12
In pictures: Donetsk burns after Russian strikes continue
Alex Croft28 April 2025 11:57
Crimea's recognition by Russia 'impossible to achieve', says expert
The formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is “impossible to achieve” and a difficult challenge for Volodymyr Zelensky, a Ukrainian expert has said.
If Ukrainian lawmakers were even to entertain the idea of surrendering Crimea, it would trigger a long, drawn-out legal debate, said Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and a former economics minister.
"That's why Russia is pushing it, because they know it's impossible to achieve," he said.
"Anything related to constitutional change gives so much policy and public communication space to Russia," he added. "This is all they want."
Additionally, formal recognition of Crimea would also amount to political suicide for Mr Zelensky and could expose him to legal action in the future, he said.
Mr Mylovanov said that signing a potentially unconstitutional document could be interpreted as high treason.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 11:47
Russian troops seize village in Kharkiv region, Moscow says
Russia troops have taken control of the village of Kamianka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The Independent could not independently verify the battlefield report.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 11:25
Pictured: South Koreans watch news report of Putin and Kim Jong-un
Alex Croft28 April 2025 11:17
At least six killed in Russian attacks over past day
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured 13 more over the past day, regional authorities reported on Monday morning.
Moscow’s forces have intensified their attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities in the past week.
Five people were killed and six injured in a attacks across Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to governor Vadym Filashkin, including an attack against Kostiantynivka which damaged 21 houses.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a 73-year-old woman was injured during Russian drone and artillery attacks on the Nikopol district, governor Serhii Lysak said.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 11:03
Ukrainian soldier behind 'Russian warship, go f*** yourself' slogan honoured at football game
The Ukrainian soldier who was behind the world-famous ‘Russian warship, go f*** yourself’ slogan, which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the early days of Russia’s invasion, has been honoured at a football match.
On the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Roman Hrybov made the final communication to Russian warship Moskva. The phrase became widely adopted as a Ukrainian slogan, featuring in pro-Ukrainian demonstrations across the West and even being commemorated on a postage stamp by Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian postal service.
He was awarded a medal for his actions at the end of March.
On Sunday, Mr Hrybov was honoured at a football match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 10:45
ICYMI: Macron appears to 'snub' Donald Trump before Zelensky meeting at Pope's funeral
Alex Croft28 April 2025 10:31
Moscow waiting for signal from Kyiv regarding direct negotiations - Kremlin
Moscow is waiting for a signal from Ukraine from Kyiv regarding direct negotiations to end the war, the Kremlin said on Monday.
There are no signs of any movement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, three days after revealing that the prospect of direct talks had been raised in a three-hour meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday.
Asked by a reporter if the signal for direct talks should come from Ukraine or the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Well, from Kyiv, at least Kyiv should take some actions in this regard. They have a legal ban on this. But so far we don't see any action."
Kyiv accuses Russia of playing for time in an attempt to seize more territory, while Moscow has accused Ukraine of being unwilling to make any concessions and only seeking a ceasefire on its own terms.
Alex Croft28 April 2025 10:19
English (US) ·