Russia-Ukraine Easter ceasefire ends amid mutual accusations

The temporary Easter ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine concluded late Sunday at 2100GMT after 32 hours of a fragile and largely violated truce. The halt in fighting, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, was intended to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday but quickly unraveled.

Conflicting violation claims

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces overnight Sunday. In contrast, Ukraine’s General Staff reported a significantly higher number, stating that it documented 7,696 violations by Russian troops from the start of the truce until 10pm (1900GMT) Sunday. Both sides accused each other of launching drone and artillery attacks within hours of the ceasefire taking effect at 4pm Moscow time (1300GMT).

Putin’s warning and Zelenskyy’s response

Hours before the truce began, Putin ordered the Russian military command to prepare for implementation but warned that Moscow would respond to any Ukrainian provocation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv would join the initiative and act “in a mirror manner.” Independent verification of the competing claims remains difficult as the war, now in its fifth year, continues. The ceasefire’s failure underscores the deep mistrust between the warring parties.