Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating one-day Easter ceasefire
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other on Sunday, breaking a one-day Easter ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, both accusing each other of hundreds of attacks.
Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops to enter Ukraine in February 2022, and he ordered Russian troops to “stop all military activities” along the frontlines of the war until midnight in Moscow on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia pretended to observe the Easter ceasefire, but in fact, hundreds of shell attacks continued on Saturday night, with more attacks on Sunday.
Zelenskyy wrote on the X social media platform that Russia launched 26 attacks from midnight to local time.
Zelenskyy's post said: “Either Putin has no full control over his army or the situation proves that in Russia they have no intention of really taking action to end the war and are only interested in favorable PR coverage.”
“General impression of a ceasefire”
He said earlier that the Russian army was “trying to create a general impression of the ceasefire” while continuing to cause losses on the front lines of Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine has destroyed the ceasefire more than 1,000 times, causing damage to infrastructure and causing some civilian deaths.
The ministry said Ukrainian troops had fired guns at 444 Russian positions and calculated more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks, including the Russian border areas of Crimea and Bryansk, Kursk and Bergorod.
“Therefore, there are deaths and injuries in the civilian population, as well as damage to civilian facilities,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian military said earlier Sunday that activity on the frontline had decreased. Some Russian military bloggers also said that military activity along the front line has been greatly reduced.
Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield report from either side immediately.
The apparent failure to observe the Easter ceasefire shows how difficult it would be for U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve his lasting deal to end what he calls the “bloody” of the Ukrainian war.
Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the United States will step out of efforts unless there are obvious signs of progress.
Trump said he wanted to be remembered as a peacemaker, who repeatedly warned about the risk of escalating wars – a government that now sees it as an alternative conflict between the United States and Russia, echoing Moscow's position.
Last month, after Ukraine accepted Trump's proposal for a 30-day truce, Putin said key verification issues have not been addressed. Both Moscow and Kiev agreed to suspend attacks on energy targets and seas, both accusing each other of the outbreak.
Ukraine and the U.S. representatives said Ukraine agreed to immediately accept a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia during talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. Russia still has to approve the deal.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Kiev is willing to extend the ceasefire for 30 days, but said Ukraine would, too, if Russia continues to fight on Sunday.
Putin told his Supreme General Valery Gerasimov that if Kyiv breaks the truce, he is ready to “go out all the way.”
Russia controls one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, as well as the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Putin announced a ceasefire before heading to Orthodox Easter service that the truce would show whether Ukraine is ready or able to implement peace. Putin thanked Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of mediation from the emerging economies BRICS.
The EU responded cautiously to Putin's ceasefire declaration, saying Moscow could immediately stop the war.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated UN support: “Meaningful efforts to achieve just, lasting and comprehensive peace, fully safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.”
Easter fell on the same day as the Orthodox and Western churches this year, and Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians not to give up hope that peace will one day return.
“We know what we are defending. We know what we are fighting for.” He stood in front of the main Kiev church in a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt.
