Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday accused Russian forces of violating a brief Easter truce declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming Moscow continued its shelling and assaults despite a 30-hour ceasefire set to begin Saturday at 1500 GMT.
The truce, described as the most significant pause in hostilities since the war began over three years ago, was intended to last until midnight Sunday. However, Zelensky said Russia had failed to honor the agreement, citing ongoing attacks across the frontline.
“Across various directions on the frontline, there have already been 59 instances of shelling and five direct assaults by Russian units,” Zelensky wrote on social media, referencing a report from Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, as of 0300 GMT Sunday.
He added that in the six hours leading up to midnight Saturday, Russian forces launched 387 shelling attacks and 19 ground assaults, using drones nearly 290 times.
“Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
In contrast, officials in Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine accused Ukrainian forces of violating the truce, claiming that Kyiv had shelled an occupied village and town. A journalist from Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported hearing explosions and witnessing a fire Sunday morning in Donetsk.
Putin announced the truce on Saturday during a televised meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, stating that the ceasefire was a humanitarian gesture and would run from 1800 Moscow time (1500 GMT) Saturday to 2100 GMT Sunday. He emphasized that Russian troops should remain prepared for provocations or violations by Ukraine.
Zelensky responded by stating Ukraine would observe the truce and went further, proposing a 30-day extension. “Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the ceasefire. Ukraine’s proposal to implement and extend the ceasefire for 30 days after midnight tonight remains on the table,” he said.
He also reiterated that the prolonged ceasefire could “give peace a chance,” although he noted Putin had previously rejected a 30-day unconditional truce.
Previous efforts to enforce holiday ceasefires, including during Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023, failed to materialize as both sides accused each other of insincerity.
In his Easter message, Zelensky declared that the message of the holiday was one of hope and resilience. “Evil will retreat, and life will triumph,” he said. “These words resonate in every Ukrainian heart. Our faith has not faded for 1,152 days of full-scale war.”
In Kyiv, reactions to the truce were mixed. “They’ve already broken their promise. Unfortunately, we cannot trust Russia today,” said 38-year-old market trader Olga Grachova. Railway worker Sergiy Klochko expressed hope in Ukraine’s proposal: “Let them go for it… so that this terrible war ends.” But others, like 41-year-old medic Natalia, were more skeptical: “Everything we offer remains only our offers. Nobody responds.”
Meanwhile, in Moscow, 58-year-old Yevgeny Pavlov dismissed the idea of a pause: “There is no need to give them respite. If we press, we should press to the end.”
