Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a 30-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark the Christian religious festival of Easter Sunday. The ceasefire has already come into effect.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of continuing its attacks despite the ceasefire declaration. According to a BBC report published on Sunday (April 20), Russian assaults are still ongoing.
Earlier, President Putin said he had instructed his forces to halt all military operations in Ukraine during the 30-hour Easter period, citing humanitarian reasons. He directed Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov to suspend all offensive actions but remain ready to respond to any provocations.
In response, President Zelensky said that Kyiv would respect the ceasefire but claimed that Russia had already violated it. He stated, “If Russia truly wants an unconditional and complete ceasefire, Ukraine will follow suit. Our response will be entirely proportional.”
Zelensky also noted that Ukraine had already agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day comprehensive ceasefire.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on social media, “Putin now talks about a 30-hour ceasefire, while we had called for 30 days. His words cannot be trusted — we believe in actions.”
He added that fighting continues in parts of Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions, and Russian drones remain active in the skies, although some areas are relatively calm.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office stated, “If Putin is truly sincere about peace, now is the time to end all aggression and commit to a full ceasefire—not just a one-day Easter truce.”
Notably, Russia also announced a ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023, which failed due to a lack of mutual agreement between the parties. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. So far, the war has caused over a hundred thousand casualties, mostly among military personnel.
The United States and Ukraine had previously proposed a full and unconditional ceasefire, but Russia rejected it. Recently, the Trump administration stated that if there is no significant progress, the U.S. will withdraw from further peace mediation efforts.