Putin declares Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, while Zelenskyy says Russian drone attacks continue

Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a short lived Easter ceasefire in Ukraine beginning Saturday, citing humanitarian causes, as Russia and Ukraine swapped tons of of captured troopers in the biggest trade since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over three years in the past.

Based on the Kremlin, the ceasefire will final from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.

“We assume that the Ukrainian facet will observe our instance. On the identical time, our troops should be able to repel attainable violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,” Putin stated at a gathering with Chief of the Basic Employees Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlin’s Press Service.

In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a put up on X on Saturday that, “as for yet one more try by Putin to play with human lives—at this second, air raid alerts are spreading throughout Ukraine.”

“At 17:15, Russian assault drones had been detected in our skies. Ukrainian air protection and aviation have already begun working to guard us,” he wrote after receiving a report from his commander-in-chief.

“Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true angle towards Easter and towards human life,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha stated 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 as an alternative of 30 days,” Sybiha continued, writing on X. “Sadly, we have now had a protracted historical past of his statements not matching his actions.”

Zelenskyy, in a subsequent put up on X on Saturday, stated: “If Russia is now immediately prepared to actually have interaction in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly — mirroring Russia’s actions.”

“If a whole ceasefire really takes maintain, Ukraine proposes extending it past the Easter day of April 20,” Zelenskyy added.

“That’s what will reveal Russia’s true intentions — as a result of 30 hours is sufficient to make headlines, however not for real confidence-building measures.”

The 2 sides in the meantime exchanged tons of of POWs on Saturday. Russia’s Ministry of Protection stated that 246 Russian service members had been returned from territory managed by Kyiv, and that “as a gesture of goodwill” 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs had been transferred in trade for 15 wounded Russian troopers in want of pressing medical care.

Zelenskyy stated that 277 Ukrainian “warriors” have returned house from Russian captivity.

Each side thanked the United Arab Emirates for its mediation.

Putin’s ceasefire announcement got here after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday stated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither facet is “taking part in” him in his push to finish the grinding three-year battle.

Trump spoke shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. might “transfer on” from attempting to safe a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no such thing as a progress in the approaching days, after months of efforts have didn’t deliver an finish to the combating.

In January 2023, Putin had ordered his forces in Ukraine to look at a unilateral, 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. Zelenskyy had dismissed it as taking part in for time to arrange extra attacks.

Russia’s Protection Ministry stated Saturday its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, one in every of their final remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk area the place the Ukrainians staged a shock incursion final yr.

Gerasimov stated Saturday in a report back to Putin, quoted by Russian state media, that Russia had retaken almost all the territory from Ukrainian forces.

“The principle a part of the area’s territory, the place the invasion occurred, has now been liberated. That is 1,260 sq. kilometers, 99.5%,” Gerasimov stated.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukrainian forces “continued their exercise on the territory of the Kursk area and are holding their positions.”

The Related Press was unable to instantly confirm the declare by Russia.

Russian and North Korean troopers have almost disadvantaged Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking a lot of the area.

Based on Russian state information company Tass, Russia continues to be combating to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.

“The Russian navy has but to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal … in order to fully liberate the Kursk area. Fierce combating is underway in the settlement,” the company reported, citing Russia safety companies.

In different developments, the Ukrainian air pressure reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the most recent wave of attacks in a single day into Saturday. It stated 33 of them had been intercepted and one other 36 had been misplaced, possible having been electronically jammed.

Russian attacks broken farms in the Odesa area and sparked fires in the Sumy area in a single day, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service stated Saturday. Fires had been contained, and no casualties had been reported.

Russia’s Ministry of Protection, in the meantime, stated its air protection techniques shot down two Ukrainian drones in a single day into Saturday.

— CNBC contributed to this report.