A temporary ceasefire came into effect at 3:00 on Saturday and will last for 32 hours during the Orthodox Church's Easter celebration. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend on Thursday, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday. Previous ceasefire attempts have had little impact, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, describing it as an opportunity to build on peace initiatives, but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Putin's move as a humanitarian gesture on Friday, but said Moscow remains focused on a comprehensive settlement based on its longstanding demands. Ukraine earlier proposed to Russia a pause in attacks on each other's energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday. The Kremlin has described its pause as a test of Ukraine's readiness for peace, although Putin earlier rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire.
Hours before the ceasefire was due to begin, Russian drone strikes overnight killed at least two people in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, according to local authorities. A further two people were wounded in the attack on Odesa, when drones hit a residential area, damaging apartment buildings, houses and a kindergarten. The driver of a public trolley bus was killed after the vehicle was struck by a drone in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, less than an hour before the start of the ceasefire, according to Kherson regional head Oleksandr Prokudin. According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted, hours before the proposed Easter ceasefire was due to come into force.
Russia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after the Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday. Ukraine's military command said on Saturday night that there had been 469 truce violations. Ukrainian forces were responding with silence to silence and fire to fire. Ukrainian military spokesman Viktor Trehubov said there had also been Russian military assaults in several eastern areas after the Russian ceasefire officially came into force.
Russia's defence ministry said that a prisoner swap on Saturday brought home 175 of its soldiers, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a prisoner swap. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US-proposed peace plan aims to ensure Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and economic development. Rubio stated that the peace plan must not only end the war but also secure Ukraine’s future and long-term prosperity. He stated that the US-Ukrainian meeting was very productive and expressed optimism about the peace negotiations’ progress but said that there is still much work to do. Rubio stated that the meeting built upon the results of November 23 US-European-Ukrainian talks in Geneva and confirmed that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow later this week to discuss the peace deal with the Kremlin.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on November 30 that Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Witkoff in Moscow before the start of Putin’s visit to India on December 4. Witkoff also stated that US-Ukrainian talks in Hallandale Beach went positively and reportedly confirmed that he will meet with Putin on December 2. Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation on November 30 and stated that the negotiators achieved substantial progress in advancing a dignified peace and uniting the Ukrainian negotiating positions with the United States. Umerov reported that the United States shares Ukraine’s key objectives of ensuring Ukraine’s security, sovereignty, and a reliable peace, and noted that Ukraine and the United States will continue consultations and work on a joint peace framework.
Kyiv has rejected Russia's truce, with Volodymyr Zelensky calling it a 'theatrical show' designed to protect the Moscow Victory Day parade on Friday.
Russian information space voices argue that the Kremlin will likely reject a ceasefire or any iteration of the US-proposed peace plan because the Kremlin views these efforts as inconsequential and as a hindrance to Russia’s goals in Ukraine and globally. A prominent Russian milblogger argued on November 30 that Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly outlined that he is prepared to achieve Russia’s war aims via military means; therefore, all peace negotiations since the 2022 Istanbul negotiations are not practical. The milblogger added that Russia’s engagement in any peace negotiations solely relies on Russian progress on the battlefield, which Russian forces achieve through prolonged and costly warfighting. The milblogger argued that US President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire on the front line do not benefit Russia, as the ceasefire would force Russia to terminate the September 2022 mobilization decree that allows the Kremlin to retain mobilized servicemen and recruits on the battlefield indefinitely, which will reduce the size of the Russian military and deplete Russia’s officer corps.
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russia's unilateral, three-day ceasefire has proved to be a farce because of continued attacks across the front line. Sybiha accused Russia of 734 violations since its truce came into effect overnight into Thursday, adding that Ukraine was responding appropriately to every attack. Russia's defence ministry insisted the ceasefire - called by Vladimir Putin to mark World War Two Victory Day - was being observed and accused Ukraine of 488 violations. Russia's defence ministry said all groups of Russian forces in Ukraine had completely ceased combat operations and remained on the previously occupied lines and positions, but added they were reacting in a mirror-like manner to violations by Ukrainian forces.
At least one person was killed in Ukraine's northern Sumy region following Russian strikes, according to emergency services. Ukraine's air force said there had been no drone or missile strikes in its airspace overnight as of 08:00 on Thursday, although Russia had intensified strikes using air-launched glide bombs in the Sumy area. Buildings were hit in a residential area of Bilopillia, a town in Sumy just south of the Russian border, and rescuers freed a woman trapped under the rubble, emergency services said. Reacting to the bombardment of the Sumy region, Sviatoslav Yurash, a Ukrainian MP and serving soldier, accused Moscow of lying.
The Ukrainian president has reiterated calls for a longer truce of at least 30 days. Kyiv has rejected Russia's truce, with Volodymyr Zelensky calling it a theatrical show designed to protect the Moscow Victory Day parade on Friday. Sergey Sanovich of Stanford University told the BBC the Russian truce was not meant as a gesture of goodwill to Ukrainians but rather to maintain interest in peace talks with the US. Since his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has sought to end the war in Ukraine by mediating with both parties - but he has been accused of trying to pressure Ukraine into making painful concessions to secure a peace deal.
European-led forces supported by the U.S. would be deployed in Ukraine in case of repeated ceasefire violations by Russia, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 3, citing undisclosed sources. Between December and January, Ukrainian, European, and U.S. officials discussed a multi-tiered response plan to be put in place in the event of a potential ceasefire with Moscow, according to the FT. Based on the proposal, any Russian breach of the truce would first trigger a diplomatic warning and an appropriate response by the Ukrainian military within the first 24 hours. Continued violations would lead to the deployment of forces from the U.K.- and French-led Coalition of the Willing. A more extensive Russian attack would trigger a coordinated Western-led military response backed by the U.S. military, initiated 72 hours after the initial breach.
France and the U.K. agreed with Ukraine on Jan. 6 to deploy forces in the country after the war as part of a security guarantees package designed to deter future Russian aggression. The plan would involve a U.S. backstop for the European-led multinational force, though the Trump administration has been vague about the capabilities it is ready to offer. Washington is also expected to oversee monitoring of the ceasefire along the contact line. U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has drastically reduced military aid to Kyiv, has repeatedly said that it is primarily up to Europe to help maintain sustainable peace in Ukraine.
The news of the response plan comes shortly before another round of trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi between Feb. 3 and 5. Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he considers discussions with the U.S. on security guarantees concluded. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and currently controls about 20% of Ukraine's territory.