Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations

Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations

During Orthodox Easter, Ukraine and Russia each blamed the other for numerous ceasefire breaches. The Ukrainian military claimed Russian forces violated the truce 2,299 times since it began at 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, including the shooting of four unarmed soldiers. Meanwhile, Russia countered with 1,971 violations, citing three counter-attacks in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukraine’s military reported that Russian troops launched 28 attacks and nearly 2,000 drone strikes, though they didn’t use bombs or missiles. In the Kharkiv region, Russian forces executed four Ukrainian soldiers after the ceasefire took effect, according to local prosecutors, labeling it a “grave violation of international humanitarian law.” Ukraine called it “another war crime by Russia” and shared a drone image of the four bodies in a clearing.

Russia accused Ukraine of launching three overnight attacks in Pokrovsk and Otradne, and noted that four advances in Sumy and Donetsk were “thwarted.” The country also reported that Ukrainian forces injured three medics when a drone struck an ambulance in the Sumy region. President Vladimir Putin announced the Easter ceasefire after resisting calls for a temporary halt, while Zelensky promised a symmetric response.

“Easter is a time of peace,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that he hoped the truce could be extended beyond the holiday to help peace talks. However, Russia rejected the idea, stating its attacks would resume on Monday.

Earlier this year, Putin had agreed to pause strikes on energy infrastructure following a US request as Ukraine prepared for harsh winter conditions. Both sides claimed limited violations in the first hours of the truce before escalating their figures. On Saturday, they exchanged 175 prisoners, with seven civilians each. Despite these efforts, frontline civilians and soldiers remain skeptical about the ceasefire’s effectiveness, as Kyiv advocates for a broader agreement to end the full-scale invasion.