Russia's President Putin declares three-day full ceasefire in Ukraine from 8 May

A full three-day ceasefire in Ukraine has been declared to coincide with Russia's commemorations of their victory at the end of the Second World War, President Putin has announced.

The ceasefire will last from midnight on 8 May to midnight on 11 May, Moscow time.

No military operations will be carried out during the three days, according to a Russian defence ministry post on the social media site Telegram.

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Moscow said that Kyiv should follow suit and comply with the ceasefire over the period.

The post went on to say: "In the event of any violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give a proportionate and efficient response.

"The Russian side reiterates its willingness to enter peace talks without preconditions, with a view to eliminating the root causes behind the Ukraine crisis and establishing constructive interaction with international partners."

It comes after President Trump and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky met on the fringes of Pope Francis's funeral at the Vatican over the weekend.

The pair had a discussion in St Peter's Basilica ahead of the service.

The meeting, which lasted a quarter of an hour, was said to be "very productive", the White House has said.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin and Kim Jong-un have verified that North Korea has deployed troops to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war.

The North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine were said to be "heroes" as they have allegedly been helping Moscow retake the Kursk region.

"The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the [North] Korean special forces," Mr Putin said in a statement published by the Kremlin.

"We will always honour the Korean heroes who gave their lives for Russia and for our shared freedom, alongside their brothers in arms from the Russian Federation."

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has said anything about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea sending troops to help Russia in the three-year-long conflict before this announcement, although the Western media has reported it.

Earlier this month, Ukraine captured two Chinese nationals fighting for the Russian army.

The duo, who were carrying identification documents, bank cards, and personal data, were found in the Donetsk region on Ukrainian territory.