Russia and Ukraine announce rival ceasefires as deadly strikes continue

Key Points:

• Russia announced a ceasefire for 8 and 9 May ahead of Victory Day celebrations, warning of a "massive missile strike" on Kyiv if violated, while Ukraine declared an open-ended ceasefire starting 6 May, pledging to act "symmetrically."
• Despite the ceasefire declarations, missile and drone strikes continued overnight, causing casualties in Ukraine and a drone attack in Russia's Chuvash Republic that killed two and injured 32.
• Ukraine's unilateral open-ended truce aims to demonstrate willingness for lasting peace, with President Zelensky urging Russia to reciprocate and criticizing ongoing attacks as cynical ahead of Russian commemorations.
• Ukraine launched aerial attacks on Russian industrial targets using domestically-produced Flamingo cruise missiles, while Russia reported intercepting multiple Ukrainian missiles and drones, and temporarily closed several airports due to security concerns.
• The Kremlin scaled down its Victory Day military parade on Red Square citing "terrorist threats" from Ukraine, with restrictions on mobile internet in Moscow, reflecting heightened tensions ahead of the 9 May celebrations.