Temporary Russia-Ukraine ceasefire appears to hold overnight as Moscow holds Victory Day Parade

Prefer on Google by Dmytro Basmat Russian National Guard officers walk across Red Square decorated for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 6, 2026 (Natalia Kolesnikova/Anadolu via Getty Images). Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. A temporary three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine appeared to remain intact overnight on May 9, without any major reports of attacks from either side after midnight. The surprise ceasefire, first announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, is scheduled to remain in place from May 9-11. Russia launched 43 drones overnight, of which 34 were downed by the Ukrainian air defense, Ukraine's Air Force reported in the morning on May 9. It is unclear if the Russian drones were launched before or after midnight. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 44 Ukrainian drones between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m Moscow time on May 8. War monitoring Telegram channels reported that no attack drone activity was present over Ukraine, with only reconnaissance drones present along the line of contact. The temporary ceasefire marked one of the longest periods of time without an air raid alert over Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Trump's announcement came amid mounting tensions between Kyiv and Moscow on the eve of Russia's Victory Day celebrations. While the Kremlin declared a temporary truce in honor of the May 9 holiday, Ukraine has been skeptical that Russia will honor its own terms, having previously violated ceasefires during major occasions and holidays. Russia observes Victory Day on May 9, which celebrates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia typically uses the occasion to display its military might with large-scale parades in Moscow and demonstrations across the country. In recent years, the celebrations have been an opportunity to spread propaganda justifying Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine. This year, however, Russia's celebrations have been scaled back — in part due to Ukraine's increased long-range strike capabilities. The Kremlin did not display military equipment at this year's event.