President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a decree 'allowing' Russia's Victory Day military parade to proceed, ensuring no weapons are aimed at Red Square. The decree, which may have been partly tongue-in-cheek, stated: 'I hereby decree: to permit the holding of a parade in the city of Moscow (Russian Federation) on May 9, 2026.' It added that 'the territorial sector of Red Square shall be excluded' from Ukrainian weaponry deployment.
The move came after Ukraine and Russia confirmed a ceasefire from 9 to 11 May. Zelenskyy had previously needled the Kremlin for wanting a 'permit' from Kyiv to hold the parade, as Russians warned of reprisals if the demilitarised display came under attack. He said Russian authorities 'fear drones may buzz over Red Square'.
A large forest fire was burning through the Chornobyl exclusion zone on Friday after a drone crash near the defunct nuclear plant the previous day. Radiation levels were within normal limits, authorities said, as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. The fire broke out 'as a result of a drone crash', though the origin was not stated. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of attacking its nuclear sites.
Ukraine's SBU security service said it struck a Lukoil-owned refinery in Perm for the second consecutive day, setting fire to a primary oil processing facility. The SBU also hit an oil pumping station, damaging a reservoir. Zelenskyy hailed a strike on an oil depot in the Yaroslavl region, about 125 miles north-east of Moscow. At least 13 airports in southern Russia were closed on Friday due to the threat of attack.
Zelenskyy visited the frontline in south-eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv's troops had regained control of small areas. 'Despite the announced ceasefire, the enemy has not reduced the intensity of its assaults,' he said. The Russian defence ministry claimed control of the village of Kryva Luka in Donetsk, though Reuters could not independently confirm this.
Ukraine is running short of air defence missiles after Russia's winter attack campaign, the air force said. Spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat noted launchers are 'half-empty' with limited missiles. Ukraine relies heavily on foreign systems like Patriot, Nasams and Iris-T, and has asked allies for as few as five to 10 missiles at a time. Russia has increasingly targeted small power substations, disrupting Ukraine's grid more than ever, according to the Centre for Information Resilience.
