A three-day ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday defused the tensions over a prospective Ukrainian attack on a Red Square parade in Moscow, but the deal appeared unlikely to set the stage for a comprehensive peace deal.
Even as unilateral ceasefires declared by Ukraine and Russia earlier this week failed to hold, with both parties blaming each other, Trump said Friday that the leaders of agreed to his request for a ceasefire running Saturday through Monday and an exchange of prisoners. Trump added that the break in fighting could be the 鈥渂eginning of the end鈥� of the war that has dragged into a fifth year.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russia has accepted Trump鈥檚 initiative for a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war on each side.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s consent to the U.S.-brokered agreement was driven by the prospect of freeing its prisoners. At the same time, he issued a decree mockingly allowing Russia to hold its Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, declaring Red Square temporarily off-limits for Ukrainian strikes.
鈥淩ed Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,鈥� Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shrugged off Zelenskyy鈥檚 decree 鈥渁uthorizing鈥� the Red Square parade as a 鈥渟illy joke.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need anyone鈥檚 permission to be proud of our Victory Day,鈥� Peskov told reporters.
Earlier, a that Russia announced for Friday and Saturday quickly unraveled. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for the continued fighting, just as they did when Ukraine鈥檚 own unilateral ceasefire swiftly collapsed earlier in the week.
The accusations reflect the deep-seated lack of trust between the two sides more than four years after Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of its neighbor. That has thwarted to find a peace settlement.
Ukraine’s new has helped it hit deep inside Russia frequently and accurately in recent months, .
Meanwhile, with some of the Kremlin鈥檚 wartime policies have put the spotlight on Putin, who is due to make a speech on Saturday to mark Victory Day, commemorating victory over Nazi Germany 81 years ago.
The Russia-Ukraine war rages unabated
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Friday that its forces in Ukraine 鈥渃ompletely ceased combat operations and remained at their previously occupied lines and positions鈥� from midnight, when Putin鈥檚 unilateral ceasefire came into force.
But it accused Ukrainian forces of continuing to strike Russian positions as well as civilian infrastructure in border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
Air defenses shot down 390 Ukrainian drones and six Neptune long-range guided missiles aimed at Russia after midnight, according to the ministry.
A Ukrainian drone strike hit the administrative building of the Southern Russia Air Navigation branch in Rostov-on-Don, forcing 13 airports in the south of the country to suspend operations, Russia鈥檚 Transport Ministry said. Flights resumed Friday afternoon, but officials said it would take up to three days to fully restore air travel in the area.
Speaking during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin called the strike a 鈥渢errorist鈥� attack and hailed traffic controllers for helping to avoid tragic consequences.
Zelenskyy had a different story. Russian forces continued attacking on the front line overnight, he said, while Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 56 Russian drones.
鈥淎ll this clearly shows that there was not even a pretense of a ceasefire attempt from the Russian side,鈥� Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine also claimed Friday on Russian oil facilities. Zelenskyy said one hit the Yaroslavl region, more than 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the border, although he didn鈥檛 specify when the attack happened. Ukraine鈥檚 Security Service said a separate strike hit a major Russian oil refinery and pipeline pumping station in the Perm region, more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away.
Difficulties mount for Putin
Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has used the USSR鈥檚 victory in World War II to rally support for him and the war in Ukraine, as well as to project Russia鈥檚 global clout.
That made it surprising that the traditional parade will take place , aside from war planes in a traditional flyover, for the first time in nearly two decades. Officials put the move down to the 鈥渃urrent operational situation,鈥� without elaborating.
Russia鈥檚 bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine, while Ukraine鈥檚 long-range attacks deep inside Russia targeted Russian oil production as well as manufacturing plants and military depots, rattling the Kremlin.
Some Russians are disgruntled about internet censorship and government control over online activities, including the blocking of the popular messaging app Telegram.
All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be restricted in Moscow on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. It said the drastic measures were to ensure public safety.
鈥淎 military parade is intended as a demonstration of strength and bravery, but if it is held furtively 鈥� and with the internet jammed (to reduce the chances of a Ukrainian attack drone being able to navigate to the site), it demonstrates nothing but fear and weakness,鈥� Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, a Berlin-based think tank, wrote in an analysis this week.
Russia warns of heavy retaliation if Moscow is attacked
Russian officials have repeatedly warned that Moscow would take decisive action 鈥� including a potential mass strike on Kyiv 鈥� if Ukrainian attacks disrupt official events scheduled for Saturday.
Malaysia鈥檚 King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus鈥� authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko were due to attend Victory Day celebrations in the Russian capital.
Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, a European Union member, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls after arriving in Moscow on Friday. He was set to meet with Putin but will stay away from the Red Square parade.
Russia鈥檚 Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organizations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case such a strike did take place, and the Defense Ministry urged civilians to evacuate, too.
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Associated Press writer Hanna Arhirova contributed to this story from Kyiv, Ukraine.
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