Russia ‘exploiting Easter truce' to improve frontline positions
Russian forces are using the 'Easter truce' as a cover to improve frontline positions, according to Ukrainian soldiers.
The 66th Separate Mechanised brigade said on Sunday that 'the enemy is preparing routes for the passage of heavy equipment' across the Black Stallion River in the Donetsk region.
It added that Russian troops had launched drone strikes against the brigade's positions, and that Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance had spotted machine guns being moved towards the front line.
Vladimir Putin claimed yesterday that his forces would 'stop all military activity' between 6pm Moscow time and midnight on Sunday. Kyiv also agreed to adhere.
But within hours, both sides accused each other of breaking the ceasefire.
Mr Zelenksy said that in the six hours up to midnight Saturday, there were '387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces,' with drones 'used by Russians 290 times'. He said that Russia had launched 26 assaults from midnight up until midday local time.
Russia's defence ministry, meanwhile, said that Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire more than a thousand times.
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Russian media is reporting that Vladimir Putin has not ordered an extension of the 30-hour Easter truce.
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Vladimir Putin's words about a ceasefire have 'proven empty'.
Ukraine's president has shared another report from commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, which notes that the 'trend of increasing the use of heavy weaponry by Russian forces continues'.
From the start of today, the report says there have been a total of 46 Russian assaults 'across various directions' and 901 instances of shelling, 448 of which involved heavy weaponry.
Russia said Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire 'more than a thousand times'.
The Russian defence ministry said that Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times while it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks.
The comments came hours after Volodymyr Zelensky also accused Russia of breaking the truce.
Russian forces targetted a Ukrainian volunteer's vehicle with three drones while he was evacuating civilians in Donetsk Oblast during the 'Easter ceasefire', according to an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.
Volunteer Yevhen Tkachov said he was evacuating civilians from the village of Zoria, located to the south of Kramatorsk, when they were targeted by the first drone some 50 meters from the Donetsk Highway.
'I turned on the emergency lights, got out of the car, and started waving my arms to show that I was a civilian,' Mr Tkachov said.
'Despite that, the drone struck just half a metre from my car. I motioned for the two cars behind me to go ahead, but I couldn't drive myself any more because my car wouldn't start.'
Credit: Scopal
The British Ministry of Defence said that its fighter jets intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to Nato airspace in the past week.
Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on April 15 to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M 'Coot-A' intelligence aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
On April 17 another two Typhoons scrambled from the base, to intercept an unknown aircraft leaving Kaliningrad air space and close to Nato airspace.
The intercepts mark the RAF's first scramble as part of Operation Chessman and come just weeks after the aircraft arrived in eastern Poland to begin their deployment alongside Sweden in defence of Nato's Eastern Flank, the Ministry of Defence said.
'The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to Nato. With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our Allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our Plan for Change,' said Luke Pollard, minister for the Armed Forces.
Pope Francis has called for peace in Ukraine in his Easter message.
'Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!' Pope Francis began. An aide then read the rest of his annual Urbi et Orbi blessing and speech, which called for an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
'May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,' the message said.
It was the pontiff's first significant public appearance since he left hospital, where he was treated for double pneumonia.
Volodymyr Zelenksy has said that Vladimir Putin either 'does not fully control his army' or that the Easter truce was a PR stunt, as he accused Russia of stepping up attacks.
The Ukrainian president said that Russia had launched dozens of assaults from midnight up until midday local time, despite Putin ordering a 30-hour temporary truce on Saturday.
'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 favourable PR coverage,' Mr Zelensky said.
Ukraine's foreign ministry has demanded an apology from Fox News after the US television network incorrectly labelled Kyiv as a Russian city during a broadcast.
The broadcast featured live streams of Ukraine's Easter service from St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv and a service in Moscow attended by Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian service was correctly captioned as being in 'Kyiv, Ukraine' initially, but then was changed to 'Kyiv, Russia', before being corrected around 20 minutes later.
'If this was a mistake rather than a deliberate political statement, there should be an apology and an investigation into who made the mistake,' a spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry said.
Ukraine may need to import up to 6.3 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas for the 2025/26 winter season as reserves have fallen to a record low due to war-related damage to some facilities, the former head of its gas transit operator said on Sunday.
Ukraine has been forced to ramp up gas withdrawals from storage and increase imports this winter and spring after Russian missile attacks damaged production facilities in the east of the country, Serhiy Makogon said on Telegram.
Quoting data, he said that the storage level was 'the lowest ever' and said the country would need to collect at least 12.8 bcm of gas in reserve, including 4.6 bcm of process - or buffer - gas that is needed to ensure sufficient pressure in storage facilities.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Sunday morning despite the Easter ceasefire it declared, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Mr Zelensky wrote that Russia had launched 26 assaults from midnight up until midday local time (0900 GMT).
Britain has told Russian president Vladimir Putin to commit to a full ceasefire, as both Ukraine and the Kremlin accuse each other of breaking the Easter truce.
'Now is the moment for Putin to truly show he is serious about peace by ending his horrible invasion and committing to a full ceasefire as the Ukrainian government has called for - not just a one day pause for Easter,' a spokesperson from the FCDO said.
'Because we have seen before how the Kremlin has targeted Ukrainian cities during observance of religious holidays such as when they killed several dozen civilians in Sumy on Palm Sunday, and nine children in Kryvyi Rih on 4 April.'
Credit: Channel One (Russia)
Russia said that its forces had retaliated after Ukraine attempted attacks overnight despite an Easter truce announced by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The defence ministry said in a briefing that 'despite the announcement of the Easter truce, Ukrainian units at night made attempts to attack Russian positions in the areas of Sukhaya Balka and Bogatyr in the Donetsk People's Republic, which were repelled,' referring to villages in the Russian-held part of the eastern Donetsk region.
Russia's defence ministry said that Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire more than a thousand times, Russian news agencies reported.
The ministry said that Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times while it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks, Interfax said.
It was not possible to immediately verify battlefield reports.
Several blasts ripped through Russian-controlled Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Sunday amid an Easter ceasefire declared by the Kremlin, Russian news agency reported.
The TASS state news agency, citing local 'operative services', said at least three blasts were heard in the city, which has been under Russia's control since 2014.
The RIA news agency also said that at least three explosions were heard in the city after 09:00 (0600 GMT), citing its reporter in the area.
Viktor Tregubov, spokesman for Ukraine's Khortytsia troops, said clashes are ongoing and that the situation 'remains tense'.
'The situation here remains tense. Clashes remain in a number of directions: in Pokrovsky, Kupyansky, and Toretsky. Therefore, we cannot yet say that the situation has changed in any way,' Mr Trygubov said.
'This is not the first or 101st ceasefire announcement by Russia, which they have never adhered to. Let me remind you that during the ATO/JFO, we also had a constant ceasefire. The fire stopped with breaks of about thirty seconds each time. Let's be honest, we don't watch, we don't observe, we are not interested in observing the statements of Russian politicians,' he added.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended an Easter service led by the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a faithful backer of the Russian leader and an advocate for the war in Ukraine, on Sunday.
Hours after declaring a unilateral Easter ceasefire – that Kyiv said Russia had already broken – Putin stood in Moscow's main church, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, while Kirill led a procession, video of the service showed.
Holding a lit thin red candle and donning a dark suit, white shirt and a red tie as in years past, the Russian leader crossed himself several times at the words 'Christ is risen.'
Russia fired 290 drones and launched 19 assaults at Ukraine during the first six hours of a surprise 'Easter truce', according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vladimir Putin ordered the 30-hour temporary truce on Saturday, in what would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict.
The Russian president said his forces would 'stop all military activity' between 18.00 Moscow time and midnight on Sunday. Kyiv also agreed to adhere.
But on Sunday Mr Zelensky accused Russia of only creating an 'impression' of a ceasefire, saying Russian forces were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line.
'Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units,' said Mr Zelensky.
He said that in the six hours up to midnight Saturday, there were '387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces,' with drones 'used by Russians 290 times'.
'Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,' he added.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Ukrainians on Easter Sunday not to give up hope that peace will return to their country and to persevere to overcome the difficult path of war on which they have been travelling for 1,152 days.
'Because this faith is in each other,' said Mr Zelensky. 'In those who stand next to you. In Ukrainian men, in Ukrainian women. Faith that evil may have its hour but God will have his day.'
Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
Vladimir Putin announced a surprise 30-hour ceasefire in Ukraine on Saturday for Easter, which Mr Zelensky has accused the Russian army of breaking.
'We know what we are defending. We know what we are fighting for. For whom and for whose sake,' Mr Zelensky said.
'The day of life will come. The day of peace. The day of Ukraine. A day that lasts a century. And we will be able to gather together again. At one table. On a peaceful Easter,' he added.
Good morning and welcome to our live blog. We will be bringing you updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict throughout the day.
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CNN's Kosta Gak and Victoria Butenko contributed reporting.
