Russia, Ukraine dual ceasefires falter

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it had warned diplomatic missions to evacuate staff promptly from Kyiv in the event of a mass strike by Moscow in response to any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in a video posted on Telegram, urged diplomats to heed a warning of a strike issued on Monday by the Defence Ministry in the event of any Ukrainian attack connected to commemorations and a military parade in Red Square.

"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly urges the authorities of your country...to treat this statement with the utmost responsibility and ensure the timely evacuation from the city of Kyiv of the personnel of diplomatic and other representations in connection with the inevitability of a retaliatory strike on Kyiv by Russia's Armed Forces," Zakharova said.

Zakharova said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had made "aggressive and threatening statements" about disrupting the commemorations during remarks he made on Monday at a meeting in Armenia of the European Political Community.

"Several EU countries were present," she said. "None of them reprimanded the ringleader of the Kyiv regime."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had decided to reject efforts to halt fighting and save lives by launching fresh attacks on Ukraine, which had called a unilateral ceasefire.

His comments raise the spectre of retaliatory Ukrainian strikes on Moscow during mass public events celebrating the end of World War II on May 9, after the Kremlin announced it would hold off attacks on Ukraine that day, hoping Kyiv would do the same.

"Russia's choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives," Zelensky wrote on social media.