Russia announced on Monday that it would observe a unilateral ceasefire on May 8 and 9, to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II.

"In accordance with the decision of Russian supreme commander-in-chief Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire is declared on May 8-9, 2026, in honor of the celebration of the Soviet people’s victory in the Great Patriotic War," the Ministry of Defense stated, according to state media outlet TASS.

The "Great Patriotic War" is the Russian name for World War II and Moscow typically marks the occasion with a military parade.

Russia has observed several unilateral ceasefires throughout the Ukraine war, mostly for Orthodox Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

The war has lasted more than four years and shows no signs of ending in the near future.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.