Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, but Kyiv reports continued Russian assaults.
The unilateral truce, announced Saturday, was to run from 6pm local time until midnight Sunday. Putin said it was “guided by humanitarian considerations” and expected Ukraine to reciprocate.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the move as insincere. “Air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine,” he posted on X. “Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire only if Russia ceased all hostilities. “If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence,” he said, “we will respond with silence.”
Despite the truce, Ukraine reported ongoing Russian attacks, including drone strikes over Kyiv and shelling in Kherson province.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry noted that Kyiv had previously agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in March, which Russia rejected. “Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days,” said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.
The ceasefire coincided with a major prisoner exchange, with Russia and Ukraine each releasing 246 individuals, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates.
This marks the first declared ceasefire by Russia since the war began in February 2022. Previous attempts at Easter and Christmas truces failed to materialise.
