Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that Russian forces have continued shelling and assaults along the front line, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire for Easter.
The 30-hour ceasefire, intended as the longest pause in fighting during the three-year war, was set to begin on Saturday at 6:00 PM local time, lasting until midnight on Sunday.
However, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and other regions just hours after the ceasefire was due to begin. According to Zelensky, Russia failed to uphold the truce, continuing military actions across several sectors.
“Along various directions on the front line, 59 shelling incidents and five assaults by Russian units have already been recorded,” Zelensky wrote on social media, citing a report from Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, referring to attacks reported by 6:00 AM Sunday.
He further noted that within the six hours leading up to midnight Saturday, there had been:
- 387 cases of shelling
- 19 attacks by Russian forces
- 290 instances of drone usage by Russian troops
“On Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is attempting to create the illusion of a ceasefire, while isolated efforts to advance and inflict damage on Ukraine continue,” Zelensky said.
The supposed truce followed months of diplomatic pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a formal ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
Despite Putin’s public commitment—framed as a “humanitarian gesture”—the U.S. warned Friday that it might withdraw from the ongoing peace talks if no substantial progress was made.
