Ukraine has accused Russia of breaching a brief Easter truce that was unexpectedly announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissing the move as a PR stunt.
According to CNN, Putin declared a halt to military operations from Moscow until midnight on April 20, a decision made without prior consultation. Despite calls from Ukrainian officials to extend the ceasefire, it expired without any indication from Russia that it would be prolonged.
On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin had not ordered an extension of the truce, as reported by Russian state news agency TASS.
Ukrainian authorities noted a temporary lull in hostilities overnight, but said Russian attacks resumed and intensified later on Sunday. In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Ukraine had breached the ceasefire.
Kyiv, while agreeing to the 30-hour truce, viewed the announcement with suspicion. Ukrainian officials stressed that there have been no sustained pauses in combat since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Putin바카라s truce came just hours after the Russian military announced that it had pushed Ukraine바카라s troops out of one of their last remaining footholds in the southern Russian region of Kursk.
Zelensky said Ukraine바카라s military had recorded an increase in Russian shelling and the use of drones since 10 a.m. local time Sunday (3 a.m. ET).
바카라In 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,바카라 he said.
바카라This Easter proved unequivocally that Russia is the only source of the war and the reason for its prolongation. We are ready to move towards peace and a full, unconditional and fair ceasefire that can last at least 30 days, but Russia has not yet responded to this,바카라 Zelensky added later.
Ukraine바카라s 66th mechanized brigade, which is currently positioned near Lyman in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region, said it believed Russia was using the ceasefire to set up roads for heavy military equipment in the area. The brigade said that a blown-up piece of equipment that had been blocking an important river crossing since early April was cleared on Sunday, as Russian troops took advantage of the pause in firing.
