Russia said it would hold a ceasefire on 8 and 9 May and threatened a "massive missile strike" on central Kyiv if Ukraine violated the truce. But Kyiv announced it would observe an open-ended ceasefire from midnight on 6 May, and that Ukraine would act "symmetrically" from that point on. Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov said that if the ceasefire announced by the Ukrainian president was reciprocated, "we will continue to observe it... The next move is Russia's". Shortly after the warring sides announced the moves, five people were killed and dozens injured in combined missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight. In Russia, authorities in the Chuvash Republic said two people were killed and 32 injured in a drone attack on Tuesday morning. The two ceasefires appear to be unilateral - meaning the two sides have not agreed on their terms, length or monitoring. "We have made our proposal", Zelensky said, urging Russia to lay down arms "and move to real diplomacy".

"It's utter cynicism to ask for silence to hold propaganda celebrations and to launch such missile-drone attacks every day beforehand", he added. Ukraine's earlier, open-ended truce is likely a way for Zelensky to show that his country is willing to start an immediate and lasting ceasefire and that any violations will be pinned on Russia. "We believe that human life is of incomparably greater value than the 'celebration' of any anniversary", he wrote on Telegram. (BBC)