The Russian army will unilaterally observe a ceasefire with Ukraine between 8 May and 9 May, when Moscow marks World War II Victory Day, the Russian defence ministry said.
"In accordance with a decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire has been declared from May 8-9, 2026," the ministry said in a post on state-backed messaging app MAX.
Russia also threatened to launch a "massive missile strike" on Kyiv if Ukraine violated the two-day ceasefire.
Russia sent more than 800 drones against Ukraine's port infrastructure in the first four months of 2026, a sharp rise from 75 in the same period last year, Ukraine's infrastructure minister has said.
Oleksii Kuleba said more than 900 port infrastructure facilities have been damaged or partially destroyed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including 177 civilian vessels. He made the comments on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Europe to speak with a unified voice in any future peace negotiations.
Speaking in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at an international summit, he said Ukraine was in contact with the United States but stressed the need for "one common European voice" at the negotiating table.
"We need to find a workable diplomatic format and Europe must be at the table in any talks," he said, also renewing calls for further military assistance, including new packages under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List mechanism.
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine needs additional support to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
He was addressing European leaders attending the European Political Community summit, where defence autonomy and ties with Canada - which is attending the summit for the first time - were discussed against a backdrop of uncertainty over US military support under President Donald Trump.
Mr Zelensky also said he had agreed with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to advance work on a drone procurement and cooperation deal with the European Union. He also met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to discuss Ukraine's EU accession path, amid differing views within the bloc on relations with Moscow.
Ukrainian authorities reported a Russian missile strike on the town of Merefa in the Kharkiv region, killing five people and injuring 18 others.
Regional officials said residential buildings, shops and public infrastructure were damaged, and the missile used was likely an Iskander-type ballistic weapon.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which denies deliberately targeting civilians.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone struck a residential high-rise in an upscale Moscow district overnight.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drone hit near Mosfilmovskaya Street, about 10km from the Kremlin, with no casualties reported. Russian air defences intercepted other drones, he added.
The rare strike on the heavily protected capital came days ahead of Russia's 9 May Victory Day parade, which will be held without military hardware amid heightened security concerns.
Mr Zelensky said Russia's decision not to display equipment showed weakness, suggesting fears that Ukrainian drones could target Red Square.
