Putin announces three-day Russian ceasefire in Ukraine from 8 May

LONDON — Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has said the ceasefire will run from the morning of 8 May until the 11 May — which coincides with victory celebrations to mark the end of World War Two.

In a statement it said Putin declared the ceasefire "based on humanitarian considerations".

Ukraine has not yet responded.

A translation of the statement said: "Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example.

"In the event of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give an adequate and effective response.

"The Russian side once again declares its readiness for peace talks without preconditions, aimed at eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis, and constructive interaction with international partners."

The Kremlin announced a similar, 30-hour truce over Easter, but while both sides reported a dip in fighting, they accused each other of hundreds of violations.

The latest announcement comes during what the US has described as a "very critical" week for Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Washington has been trying to broker a deal between the two sides, but the Trump administration has threatened to pull out if they do not see progress.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and currently controls about 20% Ukraine's territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people - the vast majority of them soldiers - have been killed or injured on all sides since 2022. — BBC