Putin announces 3-day ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day temporary ceasefire in the Ukraine war, reports BBC.

In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said the ceasefire would run from the morning of 8 May until 11 May - which coincides with victory celebrations to mark the end of World War Two.

"In the event of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give an adequate and effective response," the statement added.

"The Russian side once again declares its readiness for peace talks without preconditions, aimed at eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis, and constructive interaction with international partners."

Earlier, the Kremlin announced a similar, 30-hour truce over Easter, but while both sides reported a dip in fighting, they accused each other of hundreds of violations.

The Kremlin said Putin declared the ceasefire "based on humanitarian considerations".

A translation of the statement said, "Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and currently controls about 20% Ukraine's territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people - the vast majority of them soldiers - have been killed or injured on all sides since 2022.