Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine: Russian Attacks Claim Lives Despite Truce
Ceasefire Violations During Easter Weekend
Kyiv: Despite a 30-hour Easter ceasefire declared by President Vladimir Putin, Russian military actions resulted in the deaths of three individuals in Ukraine's Kherson region, as reported by a local official on Monday.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson administration, shared on Telegram that these fatalities occurred within the last day, with three additional people injured in areas under Russian occupation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia breached the ceasefire over 2,900 times, highlighting that Russian forces conducted 96 assault operations along the front lines, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times, and deployed numerous drones during this period.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine's response would be proportional: 'We will respond to silence with silence, and our actions will serve as a defense against Russian aggression. Actions always speak louder than words.'
Putin's temporary truce, announced on Saturday for humanitarian reasons, was met with skepticism from Ukraine, which expressed willingness to reciprocate any genuine ceasefire. However, both sides quickly exchanged accusations of violations.
The ceasefire concluded at midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday. Reports indicate that overnight, Russian forces launched three missiles targeting the southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv, along with 96 Shahed drones aimed at various locations across Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing 42 drones, while 47 were jammed mid-flight.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian drones ignited a fire at an outbuilding and a food enterprise, according to regional administration head Serhii Lysak. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from this incident.
An unspecified infrastructure object was also damaged in the Cherkasy region, as noted by regional head Ihor Taburets.
Additionally, four civilians were injured in the partially occupied Donetsk region, where Russian forces shelled local settlements five times in the past 24 hours.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces adhered strictly to the ceasefire and maintained their positions. They accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire 4,900 times, including six assault attempts and over 3,300 drone strikes targeting Russian troops.
Following the ceasefire's expiration, the Russian military announced the resumption of its operations in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that Russia would communicate the details of Ukraine's ceasefire violations to all relevant parties, reiterating Russia's openness to seeking a peaceful resolution and ongoing discussions with the United States.