Despite a temporary ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Easter weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims Russian forces continued their assaults, undermining hopes for a meaningful pause in the war.
The 30-hour “Easter truce” began at 18:00 Moscow time on Saturday, with both Russia and Ukraine agreeing to halt hostilities until midnight Sunday. However, Zelensky reported 387 shellings, 19 assaults, and 290 drone uses by Russian forces in the first six hours of the truce. No casualties have been reported.
While frontline areas experienced a noticeable drop in activity, air-raid sirens were heard in Kyiv shortly after the truce began.
Ukrainian forces accused Russia of continuing strikes, especially in contested regions like Kharkiv and Donetsk. Moscow, meanwhile, reported explosions in Russian-controlled Donetsk and deployed a missile-equipped ship to the Black Sea.
Zelensky criticized Russia’s actions, saying they created only a “general impression” of a ceasefire, and reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to extend the truce if Moscow genuinely commits to peace.
Kyiv continues to support a US.-backed proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, previously rejected by the Kremlin.
The ceasefire announcement followed weeks of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who warned of withdrawing diplomatic efforts if no progress was made.
In a rare positive development, Russia and Ukraine conducted a large-scale prisoner exchange, each releasing 246 captives, including wounded soldiers, in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
The ceasefire attempt is the latest in a series of failed truces since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
