Putin hosts Victory Day parade with tight security and a short ceasefire

Vladimir Putin is starring Russia's Victory Day commemorations with a parade successful Red Square and ramped up information aft days of Ukrainian strikes targeting the capital.

Chinese President Xi Jingping is among much than 20 planetary leaders who person made the travel to Moscow.

A unilateral, three-day ceasefire was announced by Russia to coincide with the lavish 80th day event, which Ukraine has rejected arsenic a "theatrical show" designed to support the parade.

Ukraine's subject said it has travel nether thousands of attacks since the ceasefire came into unit connected 8 May. Russia has insisted the ceasefire is being observed and accused Ukraine of hundreds of violations.

In the days up of the projected truce, Moscow and Kyiv exchanged a barrage of rocket strikes.

Flights astatine airports crossed Russia were cancelled and immoderate 60,000 passengers near stranded successful the aftermath of Ukrainian bombing.

Heavy restrictions are successful spot successful the centre of Moscow arsenic Russia prepares to people the Soviet Union's triumph implicit Nazi Germany.

Russia says 27 satellite leaders are attending the subject parade, wherever thousands of troops volition march past the Kremlin and Moscow volition showcase immoderate of its latest weaponry.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned that helium could not warrant the information of anyone attending the lawsuit and has urged heads of authorities not to question to Moscow.

Mykhailo Samus, a Ukrainian subject expert and director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, told the BBC helium believed that Ukraine would forego attacking the parade, mostly due to the fact that of the beingness of overseas leaders.

But should Ukraine take to bash so, it would represent a morganatic subject target, Samus said.

During his evening code connected Thursday, Zelensky said that Ukraine was "ready for a afloat ceasefire starting close now".

"But it indispensable beryllium real," helium said successful a video connected X. "No rocket oregon drone strikes, nary hundreds of assaults connected the front."

He called connected Russia to enactment the ceasefire and "prove their willingness to extremity the war".

Ukraine has accused Russia of violating its ain truce thousands of times since it was expected to travel into effect connected Wednesday night.

On the 2nd time of the truce, Ukraine said determination had been astir 200 clashes on the beforehand line, eighteen Russian aerial strikes and astir 4 1000 instances of shelling by Russian troops.

In Prymorske, a colony successful the Zaporizhzhia region, a pistillate was reportedly killed aft a Russian drone struck her car.

Russia's defence ministry has said that each groups of Russian forces successful Ukraine "completely ceased combat operations and remained connected the antecedently occupied lines and positions". However, they were reacting successful a "mirror-like manner" to violations by Ukrainian forces.

Zelensky has repeatedly dismissed Putin's connection arsenic a "game" and called for a longer truce of astatine slightest 30 days, thing that is supported by Ukraine's allies successful Europe and the US.

Writing connected Truth Social connected Thursday, President Donald Trump reiterated the telephone for an unconditional ceasefire and warned of further sanctions for immoderate enactment failing to motion up to it.