The Russian Foreign Ministry called connected Ukrainian citizens and overseas diplomatic corps to take earnestly the warning of the Russian Ministry of Defense astir a imaginable retaliatory strike connected Kyiv successful the lawsuit of attempts to disrupt the May 9 celebrations successful Moscow.
The crushed was a crisp escalation astir the truce declared by Russia connected May 8–9, 2026as well arsenic a statement by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky that Ukrainian drones whitethorn look astatine the parade successful Moscow.
According to Reutersthe Russian Foreign Ministry warned overseas diplomatic missions successful Kyiv of the request to beryllium prepared to evacuate staff successful the lawsuit of a monolithic Russian strike connected the Ukrainian capital.
What Zakharova said
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned diplomats: Kyiv could travel under onslaught pic.twitter.com/5kXsCQcyd5
— Athens News (@russianathens) May 7, 2026
Official Representative Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova successful the statement, published successful her Telegram channelreminded that May 4 Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation declared a truce connected May 8–9 successful grant of the solemnisation of the Victory of the Soviet radical successful the Great Patriotic War.
According to Zakharova, this inaugural was supported by the US President Donald Trump during a telephone speech with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin April 29.
“This initiative, by the way, was actively supported by US President D. Trump during a telephone speech with Russian President V.V. Putin connected April 29, caused a tense absorption astatine Bankova.”
Zakharova claims that Zelensky archetypal tried to downplay the value of the Russian ceasefire proposal, and then began hinting astatine the anticipation of drone strikes connected the parade Red Square.
According to her, such statements were made against the backdrop of the summit. European Political Community V Yerevan May 4.
“Zelensky clumsily tried to downplay its importance. Then helium began to hint astatine imaginable drone strikes connected the parade connected Red Square.”
Zelensky’s statement connected drones
It was Zelensky’s operation astir the imaginable quality of Ukrainian drones astatine the parade that became the cardinal trigger for the Russian reaction.
“Ukrainian drones whitethorn besides alert implicit this parade.”
In Moscow, this statement was perceived not arsenic a governmental remark, but arsenic a nationalist menace to the events May 9where Russian officials, overseas guests and a ample fig of civilians are traditionally present.
Zakharova successful her commentary besides separately emphasized the symbolic and humanities discourse Victory Dayrecalling that representatives of antithetic nations of the erstwhile USSR participated successful the war against Nazism.
“Among those radical helium didn’t attraction astir were Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jews, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Moldovans, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen and galore different representatives of various peoples of the erstwhile USSR.”
Separately, she mentioned Zelensky’s grandfather, a front-line soldier Semyon Ivanovich Zelenskyholder of two Orders of the Red Star.
“This “Immortal Regiment” besides includes his grandfather, a front-line soldier, holder of two Orders of the Red Star, Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky.”
Warning from the Russian Ministry of Defense
Previously Interfax reported that Russian Ministry of Defense warned: if Kyiv attempts to disrupt the solemnisation of Victory Day, the Russian equipped forces will retaliate massive rocket onslaught connected the halfway of Kyiv.
According to RBCthe Russian subject section linked the warning specifically to the hazard attacks during the solemnisation of the 81st day of the Victory.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, processing this line, called connected overseas states and planetary organizations to take attraction successful beforehand of the information of their employees successful Kyiv.
“We impulse Ukrainian citizens and overseas diplomatic corps to take earnestly the proposal of the Russian Ministry of Defense to promptly permission Kyiv, which whitethorn beryllium subjected to a retaliatory monolithic rocket strike if the Kyiv authorities attempts to instrumentality its transgression plans successful bid to disrupt the solemnisation of the 81st day of Victory successful the Great Patriotic War.”
Thus, Moscow really indicated successful advance: successful the lawsuit of an onslaught connected festive events successful the Russian capital, the effect would beryllium considered inevitable and pre-warned.
Kyiv announced its “silence regime”
After the statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense, Zelensky announced the start of his ain ceasefire from the nighttime earlier May 6, declaringthat Ukraine is acceptable to enactment successful a reflector if Russia besides stops attacks.
Zakharova successful her statement called this step an effort successful the media to interrupt the Russian inaugural announced astatine May 8–9and astatine the aforesaid clip connected it with the hard situation of the Ukrainian service astatine the front.
“There is nary uncertainty that this step is dictated not lone by an effort successful the media to “interrupt” the topic of the “regime of silence” declared by Russia connected the juncture of Victory Day, but besides by the truly hard situation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine astatine the front.”
According to Zakharova, Kyiv needs a respite to regroup and hole for the continuation of hostilities.
The Ukrainian side, successful turn, claims the opposite. According to ReutersZelensky accused Russia of violating Kiev’s projected soundlessness and said Russian forces continued attacks aft the start of the Ukrainian initiative.
Moscow does not judge successful Kyiv’s quality to negotiate
Zakharova’s statement separately emphasizes that the Russian broadside did not number connected Kiev observing the ceasefire it declared.
“We had nary illusions astir the negotiability of the Kyiv regime. Zelensky’s words again diverged from existent deeds.”
According to her, Zelensky does not strive for peace, and the Ukrainian side, arsenic Moscow claims, did not springiness a existent bid for a ceasefire.
“It has agelong been evident to everyone that Zelensky does not strive for peace. As acold arsenic we know, helium did not springiness immoderate bid for a ceasefire.”
This presumption is successful crisp opposition to statements by Kyiv, which accuses Russia of continuing hostilities and claims that the Russian inaugural for May 8–9 is not humanitarian, but propaganda successful nature.
Political crippled astir the truce
The situation astir the May truce progressively looks not similar a way to peace, but similar a struggle for governmental initiative.
Russia declared a ceasefire for May 8–9tying it to Victory Day. Zelensky successful effect suggested starting the soundlessness authorities earlier – with May 6trying to prehend the inaugural and contiguous Kyiv arsenic a enactment that supposedly offers a broader ceasefire format.
But astatine the aforesaid time, words were heard astir the imaginable quality of Ukrainian drones astatine the parade successful Moscow. This is what turned the truce quality into an unfastened menace of escalation.
According to the Russian version, Kyiv is trying to disrupt events that are symbolically important for Russia and astatine the aforesaid clip use the topic of the truce arsenic an accusation move. According to the Ukrainian version, Moscow itself violated the authorities of soundlessness projected by Kiev and is utilizing May 9 for a governmental maneuver.
As a result, some sides are talking astir a ceasefire, but are preparing for a violent scenario. Well, yes, humanity has again managed to turn adjacent a truce into a abstracted front. Just a solemnisation of diplomatic logic, if anyone still has the nerves to celebrate.
Why warning diplomats is important
Call Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia to permission Kyiv for overseas diplomatic missions oregon astatine slightest take the risks earnestly – this is not lone a interest for the information of the diplomatic corps.
This is besides a governmental awesome to Western capitals: if Ukraine tries to deed Moscow during the celebrations Victory DayRussia will see its effect to Kyiv predetermined and morganatic within the model of its ain logic.
For overseas missions this creates a very unpleasant dilemma. Ignoring the warning means risking personnel. To evacuate means to really admit the seriousness of the Russian menace and summation its governmental effect.
Editorial comment
The story of the warning from the Russian Foreign Ministry shows however unsafe the crippled astir May 9 has become.
For Moscow, Victory Day is not conscionable a calendar day and not conscionable a parade. This is the cardinal constituent of the state and people’s representation of the war. Therefore, Zelensky’s statements that Ukrainian drones whitethorn look astatine the parade are perceived successful Russia not arsenic a witty governmental remark, but arsenic a menace to strike astatine the country’s astir symbolic nerve.
Zakharova’s statement makes this enactment adjacent harsher: Moscow is trying to contiguous the threats to Kyiv not arsenic a subject episode, but arsenic a blasphemous onslaught connected the representation of the victory implicit Nazism and connected the information of radical who will beryllium successful Moscow connected May 9.
Zelensky is evidently trying to amusement that Ukraine is not successful a state of implicit subject powerlessness. Kyiv is demonstrating that it is susceptible of attacking heavy wrong Russian territory, putting unit connected Moscow psychologically and politically, and imposing its ain docket adjacent astir Russia’s Victory Day.
For the home Ukrainian audience, this is simply a signal: the war continues, the sacrifices are not successful vain, Ukraine is still susceptible of delivering achy blows. For an outer audience, this is an effort to amusement the allies that Kyiv is not lone defending itself, but is besides susceptible of keeping Moscow connected its toes.
Moscow, successful turn, is trying to regain the inaugural done the menace of a disproportionate response. A warning to diplomats is not conscionable a diplomatic formality. This is simply a tool of pressure: Russia is showing that successful the lawsuit of an onslaught connected Moscow, the effect will not beryllium symbolic, but heavy.
The main information is that some sides are driving themselves deeper into the logic of nationalist promises. Zelensky cannot look to beryllium backing down aft the drone claims. Moscow cannot look weak aft warnings of an onslaught connected Kyiv. And when politicians publically rise the stakes, the space for a quiescent retreat narrows sharply.
The truce, which was supposed to trim the strength of the war for astatine slightest two days, turned into a quality astir who allows whom to celebrate, who is susceptible of hitting whom, and who will beryllium the archetypal to interruption the pause. This is nary longer bid diplomacy. This is the diplomacy of threats, where each adjacent determination whitethorn turn retired to beryllium not a statement, but a blow.
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