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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia was imitating the one-day Easter ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin by continuing hostilities at the front and trying to inflict losses on the Ukrainian army. He said this in a statement on social media.
“On Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of silence, but in some places it does not stop trying to advance and inflict losses,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the President, hundreds of cases of shelling were recorded on Saturday evening alone, and on Sunday morning – 59 new attacks and five assaults. The Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm that the intensity of hostilities has decreased, but the fire has not stopped.
“It is decreasing, but it has not disappeared. And, to be honest, we did not really hope that the ceasefire would actually take place,” Viktor Tregubov, a representative of the Eastern Front, said on Ukrainian television.
Local media reported at least three explosions in Russia-controlled Donetsk on Sunday morning. Reuters has not been able to independently verify these reports.
Trump, the truce and Moscow
Putin’s announcement of a short-term “Easter truce” was a reaction to the Donald Trump administration’s statement that the United States could withdraw from the peace talks within days if the parties did not show seriousness.
After Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Trump and Russia refused, the parties agreed only to a limited cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure and maritime facilities, which continue to be violated on both sides.
“Ukraine will continue to act in a mirror image. If Russia resumes its attacks, we will respond,” Zelenskyy said.
Europe and the global community remain cautious
The European Union reacted to Russia’s initiatives with restraint, stressing that Moscow could end the war today if it really wanted to.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that the organisation supports “meaningful efforts to achieve a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace” based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Zelensky’s Easter message: “We know what we are fighting for”
This year, Orthodox and Western Christians celebrate Easter on the same day. In his video address, President Zelenskyy, dressed in a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, spoke against the backdrop of St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv:
“We know what we are defending. We know what we are fighting for. For whom and for the sake of whom,” he said, addressing the nation with the hope of returning peace.
