Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced a unilateral 30-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Easter, calling for a halt in military operations from 6 pm Moscow time until midnight on Sunday. The move comes as the United States signaled it may soon abandon ongoing peace negotiations unless both Moscow and Kyiv show real intent to end the war.
“Based on humanitarian considerations, the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in a televised meeting with General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of Russia’s General Staff. “Our troops must be prepared to repel any violations or provocations,” he added, urging Ukraine to follow suit.
However, signs of continued hostilities emerged quickly. Air raid sirens rang out in Kyiv just an hour before the ceasefire was due to begin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the move as a hollow gesture. “Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and human life,” Zelenskiy posted on X, referring to Iranian-made drones Russia has used to target Ukrainian cities. He said Ukrainian forces were still repelling Russian airstrikes just moments before the ceasefire was scheduled to take effect.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that troops were briefed on the truce and would observe it only if Ukraine did the same.
The announcement follows a warning from US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, who said Washington would exit peace talks unless significant progress is made soon.
Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy for Putin who travelled to Washington this month, posted news of the ceasefire on X, adding: “One step closer to peace” and an emoji of a dove.
Trump has vowed to bring a swift end to the war, while shifting US policy from firmly supporting Kyiv towards accepting Moscow’s account of the conflict.
Last month, Ukraine accepted a proposal from Trump for a 30-day truce which Moscow rejected; the sides agreed only to limited pauses of attacks on energy targets and at sea, which both accuse the other of breaking.
Putin’s announcement comes a week after a Russian missile attack killed 35 people and wounded nearly 120 in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, including Christians heading to celebrate Palm Sunday. That attack, the deadliest against civilians of the year so far, spurred Kyiv and its European allies to press Washington to take a tougher line towards Moscow.
Putin has proclaimed unilateral pauses in fighting in the past with little impact on the battlefield, including a 36-hour proposed truce for Orthodox Christmas in January, 2023, which Kyiv rejected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that some progress on a peace settlement had already been made but that contacts with Washington were difficult.
(With inputs from Reuters)