Zelensky: Russia is already breaching ‘Easter truce'

Yahoo

19-04-2025

Credit: Kremlin
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of failing to uphold an 'Easter truce' announced by Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine's president said his forces would abide by the ceasefire if the Kremlin did the same, but said Russian artillery fire had not stopped and its attempt to seize territory continued.
'Russian assault operations continue on several front-line sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided,' Mr Zelensky wrote on social media an hour and a half after the truce was meant to begin.
'Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow.'
The temporary ceasefire, Putin said in a televised meeting with his commander-in-chief, would last from 6pm Moscow time (4pm BST) yesterday until midnight (10pm BST) tonight. But Ukrainian politicians and soldiers said Russia's president was not to be trusted, with Mr Zelensky saying that shelling had continued past the 6pm start time.
'If a complete ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond the Easter day of April 20,' Mr Zelensky said. 'If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly – mirroring Russia's actions,' he added.
Putin's proposal was seen by critics as a naked attempt to curry favour with Donald Trump, the US president, who threatened on Friday to walk out of peace talks unless a ceasefire agreement was reached soon. Mr Zelensky had earlier labelled the proposed truce as nothing more than Putin trying to 'play with human lives'.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said Ukraine had endured a 'long history' of Putin's deceptions and that the dictator's words 'cannot be trusted'.
He added that Kyiv stood by its original agreement with the US in March to abide by a 30-day cease fire.
'Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions,' Mr Sybiha said.
'We know his words cannot be trusted and we will look at actions, not words. Russia can agree at any time to the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which has been on the table since March.'
A senior Ukrainian military officer reportedly received orders to stop firing on Russian positions minutes after the truce was due to start, suggesting that Kyiv had given the order to observe it.
Captain Oleksandr Shyrshyn, battalion commander in the 47th Mechanized Brigade, told The Sunday Telegraph that Ukraine had 'encountered similar situations in the past when Russia made statements about a truce or a ceasefire'.
Russians 'consistently disregarded the statements [and tried] to blame us. I don't trust Russians, and I believe they will fabricate scenarios', he added.
Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst at the Kyiv-based National Institute for Strategic Studies, said he saw the Russian president's proposal as 'classic Putin who wants to manipulate Donald Trump's perception and drive a wedge between Ukraine and the US'.
'Ukraine should remind everyone about the comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire that Russia rejected,' he added.
Yesterday also saw 277 Ukrainian soldiers being returned from captivity in the largest exchange of PoWs in the conflict's history. Footage showed hundreds of the former prisoners hugging one another with the blue and yellow flag draped over their shoulders.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said 246 of its service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that 'as a gesture of goodwill' 31 wounded Ukrainian PoWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers.
The Ministry said its troops had been instructed about the ceasefire and would adhere to it, provided it was 'mutually respected' by Ukraine. Putin told Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of Russia's General Staff, during the televised address to have his forces ready to 'repel possible violations of the truce'.
Russia on Friday had abandoned a moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy targets after each side accused the other of breaking a supposed deal without any formal agreement in place.
The latest truce proposal will show 'how sincere is the Kyiv's regime's readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks,' Putin said.
Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in Jan 2023 collapsed after both sides failed to agree on them. The proposal comes after months of Mr Trump pushing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a truce. He has so far failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin.
Richard Kemp, a former British Army officer, said the truce would allow Putin to falsely paint Mr Zelensky to Mr Trump as the aggressor if the fighting continued. He said: 'He is likely attempting to seize the narrative to appease Trump and allow him to declare some kind of negotiating victory.
'The Kremlin's emphasis on bracing for Ukrainian 'provocations' indicates his intent to seize on or manufacture any such incidents to proclaim that Zelensky is not serious about peace and parry the ball back into Kyiv's court, so inciting further demands on Ukraine from the White House,' he added. Only a few kilometres from the front lines in the east, Ukrainian soldiers shared their leader's distrust of the proposed ceasefire.
Dmitry, a 40-year-old soldier, said: 'I think this man [Putin] is evil, a murderer, but he can do it. He might do it to give some hope or to show his humanity. But either way, of course, we don't trust. These 30 hours will lead to nothing. The killings of our people, and theirs, will 100 per cent continue.'
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: 'Ukraine has committed to a full ceasefire. We urge Russia to do the same – not just a one-day pause. That will create space for talks on a just and lasting peace. We deplore the Kremlin's bombing of Ukrainian cities. Now is the moment for Putin to show he is serious about peace by ending his horrible invasion.'
Cap Shyrshyn, of the 47th Mechanized Brigade, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'We have encountered similar situations in the past when Russia made statements about a truce or a ceasefire, yet they consistently disregarded the statements [and tried] to blame us.
'I don't trust Russians, and I believe they will fabricate scenarios, similar to the numerous instances where they have publicly expressed their desire to end the war, only to claim that Ukrainian officials fail to adhere to their agreements and threaten to respond by attacking civilians'.
Thanks for following our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. We'll be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.
On the eve of Easter, President Volodymyr Zelensky has called Russia 'one of the biggest threats to Christian churches and believers'.
Ukrainians will go to church on Sunday under the shadow of a ceasefire announced by Vladimir Putin which both sides have accused each other of violating. Easter falls on the same day this year for Orthodox and Western sects of Christianity, which is a rare occurrence.
'For millions of Ukrainians, Easter is one of the most important holidays. And millions of Ukrainians will go to church. Sadly, many will go to churches that are damaged or destroyed,' Mr Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
Russia has destroyed over 600 religious sites in Ukraine throughout the three-year conflict and killed or tortured 67 priests, pastors and monks, Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Zelensky said: 'Just like we're bringing back priests and pastors from Russian captivity, just like we're doing everything to protect Ukrainian towns and villages and the lives of people there – we are also bringing back the chance to believe, to believe that evil and destruction will not win.'
The Ukrainian president in a further update said that 'fighting continues' in the Kursk and Belgorod regions.
Mr Zelensky, citing a report from his commander-in-chief, suggests that 'Easter statements by Putin did not extend to this territory'.
'Russian artillery can still be heard in certain directions of the front, regardless of the Russian leader's promise of silence,' he said but added that it 'has become quieter' in some areas.
He said a proposal for a 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire 'remains on the table' and that Ukraine's actions are 'symmetrical' to Russia's.
Residents of Moscow had a bleak outlook on the chances of peace after Putin's announcement of an Easter ceasefire.
In the south of the Russian capital, people said it was unlikely the pause in fighting would provide a breakthrough that could end the three-year conflict because Ukraine 'could not be trusted'.
'The Easter truce will lead to nothing, because Ukraine will not honour these agreements,' said Svetlana, 61, who did not give her surname.
Another resident, Maria Goranina, 85, told AFP that Ukraine will 'regroup after this truce and come at us again'.
This is despite testimony by a Ukrainian soldier that Russia has already violated its own ceasefire with constant drone attacks and shelling.
Critics of the invasion face harsh punishment in Russia under its censorship rules instituted shortly after the outbreak of war, with many people sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
Svetlana also questioned Putin's decision to halt fighting.
'Three years have gone by, so many maimed, disabled, dead. And we've gone through some part of Ukraine, and that's it?' she said.
'I don't understand at all then, what it's all for.'
Other residents were more hawkish and backed a more aggressive campaign over the ceasefire.
'I do not believe in Ukraine. There will be no such truce, there will be shelling and so on,' Yevgeny Pavlov, 58, told AFP.
'There is no need to give a respite. If we press, it means we should press to the end.'
Ukraine said it would reciprocate any 'genuine' ceasefire efforts from Russia, but was wary of Putin's announcement of an Easter pause.
Putin has not offered details as to how the 'humanitarian' ceasefire will be enforced and if it would only cover airstrikes or also ground battles.
Russia said the ceasefire was supposed to begin at 6pm Moscow time on Saturday and would end at midnight after Easter Sunday, despite accusations from Ukraine that Russia has already violated its own agreement.
Whether the ceasefire is upheld will 'reveal Russia's true intentions', President Volodymyr Zelensky said, proposing an extension of the truce beyond Easter.
'If a full ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond Easter Day on April 20,' Mr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.
'That will reveal Russia's true intentions, as 30 hours are enough for headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures.'
Russia is 'constantly launching drones' and shelling despite Putin's announcement of an Easter ceasefire, a Ukrainian soldier told The Telegraph.
Maksym, a drone pilot fighting between Kharkiv and Russia's Belgorod region, said: 'At the moment, they are constantly launching drones, not to mention shelling.'
The truce is not sustainable or 'realistic – at least not for now', Maksym said, because Russia has violated other similar agreements.
'These things aren't arranged so quickly or easily. Besides, they've already shown they don't stick to such agreements,' he said.
'It is not realistic to stop hostilities at one moment.'
Ukrainian soldiers released from captivity were shown reuniting with their families in new footage posted by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The soldiers, many of them draped in Ukrainian flags, hugged or called their family members as they wiped tears from their eyes.
'Today. Our people are home,' Mr Zelensky wrote on X.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 277 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released.
'Our people are home – one of the best pieces of news that can be. Another 277 warriors have returned home from Russian captivity,' Mr Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
'I thank everyone who made this return of our people possible.'
The release was part of the largest prisoner exchange in the three-year conflict, with over 500 troops on both sides involved.
Soldiers who fought in Mariupol are among those who have been freed, along with troops who were captured in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk.
The United Arab Emirates mediated to secure the release of the soldiers, Mr Zelensky said.
A total of 4,552 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been brought back from Russian captivity since Putin's invasion began in Feb 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged that Ukraine would abide by the ceasefire and suggested the truce be extended.
'If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly - mirroring Russia's actions,' he wrote on X.
But at the same time, he said that Russia was continuing military action on several frontline sectors.
Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, said there had been eight Russian drone attacks, setting fire to a high-rise block as well as hitting two villages.
Air-raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday evening, despite the start of Putin's 'Easter truce'.
An alert message told Kyiv residents to proceed to shelters.
AFP journalists heard sirens sound shortly before 10:00pm (local time) as the air force warned of a 'missile threat' in the surrounding Kyiv region.
Captain Oleksandr Shyrshyn, battalion commander in the 47th Mechanized Brigade, says he does not trust Russia's 'Easter truce'.
'We have encountered similar situations in the past ... they consistently disregarded the statements made by them, trying to blame us.
'I don't trust Russians, and I believe they will fabricate scenarios ... where they have publicly expressed their desire to end the war, only to have Ukrainian officials fail to adhere to their agreements and threaten to respond by attacking civilians'.
Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst at the Kyiv-based National Institute for Strategic Studies said: 'I think it's a classic Putin who wants to manipulate Donald Trump perception and drive a wedge between UA and US making Trump think that's RU open to dialogue while Ukraine shall be squeezed by US to make concessions.
'Ukraine shall remind about comprehensive unconditional ceasefire in all domains of war Russia rejected.'
Andriy Kovalenko, an official on Ukraine's national security and defence council, has claimed Russia is continuing its attacks.
'The Russians keep firing on all fronts — just like before,' he wrote on X.
'The heaviest shelling is in the East. So much for Putin's so-called 'ceasefire'. He never meant to keep it.'
Vladimir Putin's announcement of an Easter ceasefire was greeted sceptically by Ukrainian soldiers.
They did not trust the Russian president to keep his word and were doubtful that a pause in the fighting would lead to a prolonged end to the hostilities.
'Of course there's distrust,' said 40-year-old soldier, Dmitry, told AFP in the city of Kramatorsk, around 20 kilometres from the front in the eastern Donetsk region.
'I think this man (Putin) is evil, a murderer, but he can do it. He might do it to give some hope or to show his humanity. But either way, of course, we don't trust. These 30 hours will lead to nothing.'
A Kyiv-based MP says air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital in the moments after Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce.
'Drones were entering Kyiv,' Lisa Yasko said before suggesting that the city witnessed a 'one hour' attack.
'A ceasefire for one day, even if it happens, is like a joke,' she told the BBC.
Ms Yasko suggested that the surprise announcement could be a manoeuvre by the Russian president to appease the United States.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Kyiv had in March 'agreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days,' which Russia rejected.
'Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days,' Mr Sybiha continued, writing on X.
Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions.
Putin's ceasefire announcement came after US President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are 'coming to a head' and insisted that neither side is 'playing' him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.
Trump spoke shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. may 'move on' from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.
Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.
Ukraine last month agreed to Trump's proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, only for Putin to reject it.
Putin's administration has carried out lightning raids across Russia for several weeks in an 'overtly aggressive' attempt to enlist more fledgling recruits for the war in Ukraine.
During an evening workout at Spirit Fitness in south-east Moscow, gym-goers were suddenly told to drop to the floor.
According to witnesses, police divide those at the gym into citizens and non-citizens. Russians are taken to enlistment offices, where their military records are checked.
Read more here from Kieran Kelly
The Telegraph's Associate Defence Editor Dom Nicholls gives his analysis below.
He's made an announcement about military activity that may or may not happen, hoping to curry favour with Trump and try and make make Ukraine look bad to Trump if they continue fighting.
Ukraine agreed to Trump's 30-day unconditional ceasefire over a month ago, Russia did not, strangely without consequences.
Putin shouldn't get any applause now for this stunt.
Russia and Ukraine on Saturday held a large prisoner of war exchange, with each side handing back more than 240 prisoners, the Russian defence ministry said.
'On April 19... 246 Russian soldiers were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return 246 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over.
'Also as a good will gesture, 31 wounded prisoners of war were handed over in exchange for 15 wounded Russian prisoners of war needing urgent medical help,' the ministry said in a statement on social media.'
The Russian Ministry of Defence has released a statement confirming that Russia will stop all military operations from 18:00 Moscow time (16:00 BST) today until midnight on 21 April (22:00 BST).
The ministry says all military actions have been ordered to stop, adding that the decision was 'guided by humanitarian considerations'.
They say they expect the Ukrainian side to do the same.
'At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,' the ministry says in a statement that has been translated.
Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday.
Anti-air measures managed to intercept 33 of them. Another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Russian attacks damaged farms in the Odesa region and sparked fires in the Sumy region overnight, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Saturday. Fires were contained, and no casualties were reported.
Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia's Kursk region, officials said Saturday.
According to Russia's Defence Ministry, its forces took control of the village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.
'Units of the 'North' military group have liberated the village of Oleshnya in the Kursk region during active offensive operations,' the ministry said in a statement.
There was was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some seven miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.
'The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Gornal ... in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement,' the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.
Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to stand ready for any 'violations of the truce' by Ukrainian forces.
He said: 'With humanitarian considerations, today from 6pm, from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares the Easter truce.
'I order to stop all hostilities during this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example.
'At the same time our troops must be ready to reflect possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy in any of its aggressive actions.
'We know that the Kyiv regime has violated the agreement not to strike at the energy infrastructure more than a hundred times, as you reported to me.
'Therefore, I ask you to be extremely attentive and focused to be ready for an immediate response in full.'
'Our decision on the Easter truce will show how sincere is the readiness of the Kyiv regime and its desire and ability to comply with the agreements, to participate int eh peace talks aimed at eliminating the primary cause of the Ukrainian crisis.'
Vladimir Putin, speaking to Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, said: 'Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.