Ukrainian military officials have reported a significant number of ceasefire violations by Russian forces following the announcement of an Easter truce. As of 16:00 on April 11, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine documented 469 violations of the ceasefire agreement, which was intended to last until the end of the day on April 12.
According to the evening report from the General Staff, Russian troops conducted 22 assault operations and 153 shelling incidents by 22:00. Additionally, there were 19 drone strikes using “Lancet” and “Molniya” drones, along with 275 attacks from FPV drones.
Earlier, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, instructed military personnel to uphold the ceasefire across land, sea, and air during the Easter celebrations. However, the General Staff emphasized that Ukrainian forces retain the right to respond with lethal force in the event of violations by Russian troops. Any missile or drone strikes on Ukrainian territory would also elicit a reciprocal response.
On March 30, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine’s willingness to establish a ceasefire with Russia during the Easter holidays. The following day, he announced that Ukraine had proposed a ceasefire to Russia and was awaiting a response.
The Kremlin responded by stating that Zelenskyy’s remarks did not constitute a clear proposal for a ceasefire, asserting that Moscow seeks peace rather than a temporary cessation of hostilities.
On April 2, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had communicated its request for a ceasefire to the United States. He noted, “We have all seen their (Russia’s) response in the media: they seem not to be ready for this. I do not know how serious this response is. We have conveyed our request to the American side. I do not know if they will be able to relay any message to the Russians. We will see. Our proposal for a ceasefire during Easter remains in place.”
On April 8, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyy reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for an Easter ceasefire, stating, “We confirm Ukraine’s readiness for an Easter ceasefire. It remains in effect. If Russia ceases its strikes, Ukraine is also prepared to respond in kind.” He added that precedents from the Middle East indicate that such agreements can be effective, even with regimes like Iran.
On April 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter ceasefire to commence at 16:00 on April 11 and conclude at the end of April 12. In response, Zelenskyy remarked that Ukraine had repeatedly offered to cease hostilities and would act accordingly.
On April 19, Putin declared a ceasefire from 18:00 on April 19 to 00:00 on April 21, instructing Russian troops to be prepared for potential violations and provocations. Zelenskyy criticized this as a “manipulation of people’s lives,” while also agreeing to a complete ceasefire if Russia refrained from violating the truce. He reiterated that Ukraine would respond in kind to any attacks.
The U.S. State Department expressed a desire for the ceasefire to extend beyond Easter. On April 20, Zelenskyy reported that Russia had violated the ceasefire 2,935 times during Easter across all major fronts, utilizing FPV drones and heavy weaponry. Despite this, no air raid alerts were issued on that day, which Zelenskyy interpreted as a form of silence that could be sustained. Consequently, Ukraine proposed a cessation of all strikes using long-range drones and missiles against civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days, with the option for extension. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later stated that Putin had not ordered an extension of the ceasefire.
The Ukrainian military has reported numerous ceasefire violations by Russian forces during a truce intended for Easter. Despite Ukraine's offers for a ceasefire, the situation remains tense with ongoing military actions from both sides.