Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Updates:Â Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Sunday of breaching a 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire, reporting more than a thousand drone and shelling attacks just hours after the truce began on Saturday. The Russian Defense Ministry said it recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations overnight into Sunday. Ukraine’s General Staff, in a late evening report issued as the truce was approaching its end, said it had compiled 7,696 Russian violations over the course of the pause.
According to the calendar of the Orthodox faith dominant in both countries, Easter is celebrated this year on Sunday. The truce was due to end at midnight (2100 GMT).
Russia-Ukraine War Updates: What Violations Did Ukraine Report?
Ukraine’s General Staff said the 7,696 Russian violations included 1,355 artillery shelling incidents, 115 assault operations and 6,226 strikes by attack drones. It said no air strikes had been recorded. Ukraine’s State Emergencies Service said two civilians were wounded on Sunday by a Russian drone attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Police in the region later said a Russian drone had struck a car, injuring one person.
A soldier from Ukraine’s 65th brigade fighting in Zaporizhzhia said Russian reconnaissance drones were still circling the area despite the ceasefire, blocking efforts to recover the bodies of fallen troops. “We wanted to evacuate our fallen comrades today, but (the Russians) are not letting us do so just yet,” the soldier, known by the call sign Spider, said at a candle-lit military Easter service.
Russia-Ukraine War Updates: What Violations Did Russia Report?
Russia said a child was among civilians injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Kursk region. The Belgorod region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported two people killed by Ukrainian shelling and several injured in other strikes through the border region.
The Russia-appointed head of the parts of southern Kherson region held by Russian forces, Vladimir Saldo, said Ukrainian troops had shelled an administrative building and a private home in two villages, without causing injuries.
Russia-Ukraine War Updates:Â What Did the Kremlin Say About the Truce?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday the truce was a “humanitarian gesture” from Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that Russian troops would resume fighting as soon as it ends. “Putin has instructed the Russian military to remain on high alert in case of provocations,” Peskov said.
Putin announced the temporary Orthodox Easter ceasefire on April 9. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose previous ceasefire proposals were turned down by Moscow, agreed to the truce.
Russia-Ukraine War Updates:Â Did the Ceasefire Achieve Anything?
The 32-hour pause was the first formal halt in hostilities in months, but both sides reported violations almost immediately. The failure to observe the truce underscores the deep mistrust between the warring parties and the difficulty of achieving even temporary humanitarian pauses.
The ceasefire did not allow for meaningful civilian evacuations or prisoner exchanges. A soldier from the 65th brigade said Russian drones continued to fly, preventing the retrieval of dead soldiers from the battlefield.
Russia-Ukraine War Updates:Â What Happens Now?
With the truce expired at midnight, fighting is expected to resume at the previous or even higher intensity. Peskov confirmed that Russian troops would resume combat operations. Zelensky’s office has not yet announced Ukraine’s next steps.
The four-year war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, making it the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. The failed Easter truce suggests that neither side is willing to pause fighting for more than symbolic gestures.
FAQs: Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire
Q: How long was the Easter ceasefire supposed to last?
A: 32 hours, from Saturday to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT).
Q: How many violations did Ukraine report?
A: 7,696 Russian violations, including 6,226 drone strikes and 1,355 artillery attacks.
Q: How many violations did Russia report?
A: 1,971 ceasefire violations overnight into Sunday.
Q: Were any civilians hurt?
A: Yes. Ukraine reported two civilians wounded in Kharkiv. Russia reported a child injured in Kursk and two killed in Belgorod.
Q: Why did the ceasefire fail?
A: Both sides accused each other of continuing attacks. Reconnaissance drones and artillery fire continued throughout the pause.
Q: What did the Kremlin call the truce?
A: A “humanitarian gesture” from Putin. Russian troops will resume fighting after midnight.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
