Russian President Vladimir Putin's order for a three-day truce with Ukraine took effect Thursday, a move the Kremlin said would "test" Kyiv's readiness for peace, but that Ukraine has criticized as a farce.
It was not immediately known whether either side was observing the ceasefire, even with world leaders – including China President Xi Jinping, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic – in Moscow for commemorations of the end of World War II.
Putin unilaterally ordered the move to coincide with Moscow's Victory Day parade on Friday. Ukraine never agreed to the proposal, has dismissed it as theatrics and called instead for a 30-day ceasefire.
Hours before Putin's order was scheduled to take effect, Moscow and Kyiv staged aerial attacks, prompting airport closures in Russia and leaving at least two dead in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has said Russian forces will honor Putin's order for the duration of the holiday but will respond "immediately" if Ukraine launches any fire.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed his call for a 30-day ceasefire in his Wednesday night address.
"We are not withdrawing this proposal, which could give diplomacy a chance. But the world is not seeing any response from Russia," he said.
Putin announced the truce last month as a "humanitarian" gesture, following pressure from the U.S., but he rejected a joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal for an unconditional ceasefire in March, and has since offered only slim contributions to President Donald Trump's peace efforts.
Ukraine has said it does not believe Russia will adhere to this truce and accused Moscow of hundreds of violations during a 30-hour ceasefire ordered by Putin for Easter.
Russia fired more than 100 drones and multiple ballistic missiles at its neighbor between late Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, killing a mother and her son, Kyiv said.
The White House has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress toward a peace deal despite Trump's efforts.
Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday called on the two to enter direct talks.
"We think it's probably impossible for us to mediate this entirely without at least some direct negotiation between the two," he said.