- Saturday night, Ukraine’s military reported nearly 470 violations, including assaults, shelling, and drone strikes
- At the same time, Russian authorities accused Ukraine of breaking the ceasefire. In the Kursk region
- The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, stated that the Easter ceasefire was not coordinated with Ukraine or its allies
Ukraine’s armed forces have accused Russia of breaching a temporary Easter ceasefire hundreds of times, despite an agreement by both sides to pause hostilities during the Orthodox holiday.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the truce, announced by Vladimir Putin, was scheduled to run for 32 hours from Saturday evening through Sunday.
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It came more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially proposed the pause in fighting.
However, by Saturday night, Ukraine’s military reported nearly 470 violations, including assaults, shelling, and drone strikes.
Officials said Russian forces also carried out dozens of air raids, dropped guided bombs, and launched thousands of drones targeting both civilian areas and military positions.
At the same time, Russian authorities accused Ukraine of breaking the ceasefire. In the Kursk region, Governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed a Ukrainian drone strike hit a gas station, injuring three people, among them a child.
In a national address, Zelensky urged Moscow to extend the ceasefire, saying a longer pause would demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace. He argued that continued attacks would instead show the world which side seeks to prolong the war.
Residents in frontline areas remained sceptical about the truce. In Kharkiv, a city frequently targeted by strikes, locals expressed doubts that the ceasefire would hold, citing ongoing insecurity and distrust of Russian leadership.
Tensions had already escalated before the truce began. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched around 160 drones in the hours leading up to the ceasefire, killing several civilians and injuring many others. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone operations reportedly caused damage to infrastructure in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Despite the continued hostilities, both sides carried out a prisoner exchange, with each releasing 175 captured soldiers. Civilians were also swapped in smaller numbers, offering a rare moment of cooperation amid the conflict.
Efforts to negotiate a broader peace deal have largely stalled. Talks led by the United States have slowed in recent weeks, complicated by other global conflicts and ongoing disagreements over territorial control.
Ukraine has suggested freezing the conflict along current front lines, but Russia has rejected the idea, insisting Kyiv relinquish control of contested regions such as Donetsk, terms Ukraine considers unacceptable.
The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, stated that the Easter ceasefire was not coordinated with Ukraine or its allies and was unrelated to ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Now in its fourth year, the war has resulted in massive casualties and displacement, becoming the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
While Russia continues to hold significant territory, its advances have slowed, with Ukrainian forces making limited gains in some areas.
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