May 9 could be when Russia makes this war official

Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, setting off waves of brutal attacks. At least 3,280 Ukrainian civilians have died so far.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to deny that this is a war. Instead, he says, a “special military operation” is underway.

That could change on Monday, May 9, when Russians celebrate a holiday known as Victory Day, explains Michael Allen, a Boise State University scholar of international relations.

“A declaration of war would allow Russia to mobilize its population to fight a longer war, which Putin initially assumed he would have won by now,” Allen writes.

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