Russia, Ukraine Clash Over Easter Ceasefire Violations

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of breaking a one-day Easter ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces launched 59 instances of shelling and five assaults, while Russia's Defense Ministry claimed Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks in the Donetsk region and sent 48 drones into Russian territory, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides claimed the other was responsible for the violence, with Zelenskyy stating that Russia was trying to create a false appearance of honoring the ceasefire.

Ukraine's military reported multiple Russian drone attacks on several regions, including Kyiv, hours after a 30-hour "Easter truce" declared by Moscow expired. The Ukrainian air force issued raid alerts for several regions and air defence forces were "working on targets" in the Kyiv region. Local officials reported explosions in the southern city of Mykolaiv, but no casualties. Russia's military has not commented on the attacks. The truce, declared by President Vladimir Putin, was met with skepticism by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused the Kremlin of using it as a "PR" exercise. Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire during the truce.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary "Easter truce" in Ukraine that will last until midnight on Sunday. The ceasefire, which began Saturday at 6 p.m., was declared "on humanitarian grounds." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded cautiously, saying Ukraine will mirror Russia's approach if the ceasefire is genuine and unconditional. Zelenskyy questioned Russia's true intentions, noting that previous ceasefire attempts had failed. The announcement came as the US expressed frustration with the pace of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the US may "move on" if progress is not made soon. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap, with 246 Russian service members and 277 Ukrainian prisoners returning home. Fighting continued before the ceasefire, with Russia's Defense Ministry claiming its forces had retaken 99% of territory seized by Ukraine in the Kursk region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, effective from 6 p.m. on Sunday to midnight on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was skeptical of the move, stating that air raid alerts were sounding across Ukraine and Russian attack drones were detected in Ukrainian skies shortly after Putin's announcement. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would mirror Russia's actions and proposed extending the ceasefire to 30 days to test Russia's true intentions. The Kremlin's announcement came amid ongoing fighting, with both sides claiming advances and counter-attacks in various regions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is skeptical of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire, citing continued Russian attacks and air raid alerts across Ukraine. Zelenskyy stated that "Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin's true attitude toward Easter and toward human life." He also referenced a previous US-proposed 30-day truce that Russia ignored, saying that if Russia is willing to observe a ceasefire, Ukraine will mirror their actions, but noted that 30 hours is not enough for genuine confidence-building measures, suggesting a longer ceasefire is needed to give peace a chance. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian forces will respond in kind to Russian strikes, and that the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day silence remains on the table.

US President Donald Trump has expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine will reach a deal this week as Vladimir Putin's "Easter truce" has expired. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of violating the ceasefire over 2,000 times, while Russia's defence ministry claimed Ukraine had broken it over 1,000 times. Trump suggested that a deal would lead to both countries doing "big business" with the US, while Zelenskyy proposed a 30-day ceasefire in exchange for Russia halting strikes on civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin stated that there were no plans to extend the ceasefire.