KYIV, Ukraine — President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accused Russia on Sunday of pretending to honor an Easter ceasefire while continuing to carry out attacks despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary truce.
“As of Easter morning, we can see that the Russian army is attempting to give the impression of observing a ceasefire; however, in certain areas, they are still making efforts to advance and cause harm to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated in a post.
Despite Putin’s announcement of a ceasefire for Easter on Saturday, Zelenskyy reported on Sunday morning that Ukrainian forces had documented 59 instances of Russian shelling, five attacks by units along the front line, and numerous drone strikes.
In a later update, Zelenskyy said that despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, there had been an increase in Russian shelling and drone attacks since 10 a.m (0700 GMT). He said, however, that it was “a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid sirens.”
“In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favorable PR coverage,” he wrote.
Zelenskyy said that Russia must fully adhere to the ceasefire conditions and reiterated Ukraine’s offer to extend the truce for 30 days, starting midnight Sunday. He said the proposal “remains on the table” and added: “We will act in accordance with the actual situation on the ground.”
Zelenskyy said Saturday night that some areas were quieter since the ceasefire was announced, which he claimed showed Putin to be the “true cause” of the war. “As soon as Putin gave an order to scale back the attacks, the intensity of strikes and killings dropped. The only source of this war and its prolongation is in Russia,” he wrote on X.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks in the Donetsk region despite the ceasefire, and had sent 48 drones into Russian territory. According to the ministry, there were “dead and wounded among the civilian population,” without giving details. It claimed Russian troops had strictly observed the ceasefire.
Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson also said that Ukrainian forces continued their attacks.
Just hours after announcing the ceasefire, Putin attended an Easter service late Saturday at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that rage around the clock.
His announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.
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Morton reported from London.
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