KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of violating a one-day Easter ceasefire ordered by President Vladimir Putin, claiming that Moscow’s forces continued offensive operations despite the truce declaration.
“In general, as of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a social media post.
Putin, attending an Orthodox Easter service late Saturday, had unexpectedly announced a ceasefire, instructing his military to halt all offensive actions from 6pm Saturday to midnight Sunday. The move came amid renewed pressure from the United States, which warned it could walk away from peace talks if both sides failed to show commitment to negotiations.
Despite the ceasefire order, Zelensky reported significant violations overnight, with Ukrainian forces recording 59 shelling incidents and five attempted assaults along the front lines.
“Russia must fully comply with the conditions of silence,” Zelensky stressed, while confirming Ukraine’s openness to extending the ceasefire for 30 days if Moscow demonstrated genuine commitment.
“Ukraine will continue to act in a mirror manner,” he warned, indicating that Ukrainian forces would respond to any continued Russian aggression. The alleged violations underscore the fragility of ceasefire efforts in the three-year-old war, where sporadic truces have frequently collapsed amid ongoing clashes and mistrust.