The Easter truce was intended to apply for 32 hours during the Orthodox Easter period. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday, according to Kremlin statements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to abide by the ceasefire but warned of a swift military response to any violations, as reported by Ukrainian officials.
Hours before the ceasefire was due to begin, Russian drone strikes killed at least two people in Odesa and wounded two others, according to local authorities. In Kherson, a driver was killed after a trolley bus was struck by a drone less than an hour before the start of the ceasefire, according to Kherson regional head Oleksandr Prokudin. The Ukrainian air force said Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight before the ceasefire, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted, based on military reports.
Ukraine has leveled detailed allegations against Russia for breaking the truce 2,299 times, including the alleged execution of four Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to Ukrainian military sources. Ukraine alleged that Russian forces attacked an ambulance in Sumy, injuring three medics, as stated by Ukrainian officials. A Ukrainian military officer said Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian positions with drones after the ceasefire took effect, citing ongoing military assessments.
Russia's defence ministry insisted the ceasefire was being observed and accused Ukraine of 488 violations, according to ministry statements. The ministry said all groups of Russian forces in Ukraine had completely ceased combat operations and remained on the previously occupied lines and positions but were reacting in a mirror-like manner to violations by Ukrainian forces, as reported by Russian officials.
Conflicting numbers emerged from Ukrainian reports, with Ukraine's military command reporting 469 Russian violations of the truce on Saturday night, while Ukraine accused Russia of breaking the truce 2,299 times, based on military data. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces, according to Russian military sources.
After the ceasefire ended, Zelensky called on Putin to pause the fighting for a few more days to work towards ending the invasion, as stated by Ukrainian officials. The Kremlin described Putin’s move as a humanitarian gesture but said Moscow remains focused on a comprehensive settlement based on its longstanding demands, according to Kremlin statements.
Ukrainian officials denounced the ceasefire as ineffective, with Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha saying Russia's unilateral ceasefire has proved to be a farce because of continued attacks across the front line, as reported by Ukrainian media. Sybiha accused Russia of 734 violations since its truce came into effect overnight into Thursday, based on foreign ministry data.
Ongoing attacks were reported in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, where at least one person was killed 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, based on military reports.
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, according to Kremlin statements.
Internationally, discussions have centered on security guarantees for Ukraine, with European-led forces supported by the U.S. to be deployed in Ukraine in case of repeated ceasefire violations by Russia, as discussed in diplomatic talks. 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 diplomatic sources. 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, based on official agreements.
Politically, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that it is primarily up to Europe to help maintain sustainable peace in Ukraine, as reported by U.S. officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he considers discussions with the U.S. on security guarantees concluded, according to Ukrainian statements.
Historically, previous ceasefire attempts have had little impact, with both sides accusing each other of violations, based on past conflict analyses.
Independent verification for the number of ceasefire violations reported by both sides remains unclear, complicating assessments of the truce's effectiveness. Specific incidents leading to the alleged execution of four Ukrainian prisoners of war during the Easter truce have not been detailed, and total casualties from violations are unconfirmed. The exact terms and conditions of the proposed European-led security guarantees for Ukraine are also unspecified.