Play Brightcove videoUkraine accused Russia of stepping up its attacks on Sunday, despite Vladimir Putin announcing a temporary ‘Easter truce’ in the war, ITV News’ Anna Geary reports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday accused Russia of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks overnight.
The temporary ceasefire was declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an unexpected announcement the previous day.
Putin said it would start from 6pm local time on Saturday, until midnight on Easter Sunday. However, the Russian army made attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine’s forces along the frontline overnight, according to Zelenskyy.
“In general, as of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” he said in a post on social media.
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 10am (7am UK time) on Sunday.
He added: “Between midnight and noon today, Russian forces have already carried out 26 assaults. We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners.
“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.
“Instead of broadcasting religious service from Moscow, the focus should be on pressuring Moscow to genuinely commit to a full ceasefire and to maintain it for at least 30 days after Easter – to give diplomacy a real chance.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on 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.
On Saturday night, in response to Putin’s ceasefire annoucement, Zelenskyy said that if Russia was genuinely ready to observe a full and unconditional ceasefire, Ukraine would mirror that approach and strike only in defence.
“If a full ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond Easter Day on April 20,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “That will reveal Russia’s true intentions, as 30 hours are enough for headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures.”
A Ukrainian soldier hugs a woman after returning from captivity in Saturday’s POW exchange. Credit: AP
Zelenskyy added that, according to military reports, Russian assaults and artillery fire continued along parts of the 600-mile long front line.
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.
It came as both sides swapped hundreds of captured soldiers, in the largest exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over three years ago.
Early on Saturday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that 246 Russian service members were returned from Ukraine, and 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.
Zelenskyy said that 277 Ukrainian “warriors” have returned home from Russian captivity. Both sides thanked the United Arab Emirates for their mediation.Most of the Ukrainians freed in the latest prisoner exchange are young people born after 2000, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Friday. Outside a hospital in Ukraine’s Northern Chernihiv region, where recently freed POWs were brought after the exchange at the border, dozens of relatives stood waiting. Among them was 48-year-old Nataliia Lohvynchuk, who rushed toward the bus the moment it arrived. She hadn’t seen her son in three years, since he was captured during the battle for Mariupol in the spring of 2022. Her son, 23-year-old Ihor Lohvynchuk, lost about 40 kilograms while in captivity. “It still doesn’t feel real,” he said softly. “We’re not really here yet. We all made it back, but we’re still not here.”
A Ukrainian soldier hugs his comrade after returning to his country. Credit: AP
His mother, overcome with emotion and embracing her son, issued a plea: “We call on the entire world, on every country – help us bring all our boys home.”Thousands of POWs remain in captivity. The exchange is the fourth this year and the 63rd since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.Since the outbreak of the war, a total of 4,552 Ukrainians, both military and civilians, have been returned from captivity.Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, where the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion last year.
Gerasimov said Saturday in a report to Putin, quoted by Russian state media, that Russia had retaken nearly all of the territory from Ukrainian forces. “The main part of the region’s territory, where the invasion took place, has now been liberated. This is 1,260 square kilometres, 99.5%,” Gerasimov said.Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukrainian forces “continued their activity on the territory of the Kursk region and are holding their positions.”
Ukraine also claimed that it holds a presence beyond the Kursk region in Russian territory with an aim of preventing the offensive on the Sumy region and to fight on enemy’s soil.
Ukrainian soldiers stand in front of a bus after being released from captivity. Credit: AP
According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some seven miles south of Oleshnya.
It comes after US President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington’s efforts to secure a peace deal are “coming to a head”, but that he is hopeful an agreement can still be reached.
Earlier on Friday US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said America be ready to “move on” from efforts to secure a peace if progress is not made within the coming days.
Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that Trump has sought and Ukraine has endorsed.
Putin has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilisation efforts and Western arms supplies, which has been rejected by Ukraine. Kyiv believes Moscow’s forces are gearing up for a fresh offensive.
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