Russia and Ukraine have accused one another of breaking the Easter truce initiated by Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Saturday afternoon.
Putin had announced the 30-hour ceasefire for “humanitarian reasons,” describing it as the most significant pause in hostilities since the full-scale war began three years ago. The truce was set to begin at 6:00 pm local time on Saturday and last until midnight Sunday.
However, Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Sunday that Ukraine violated the truce “over a thousand times”, according to Russian state media.
According to state-run TASS news agency, several explosions were reported in Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia since 2014.
The Russian media said at least three blasts were heard in the Budennovsky district, citing a source in “operative services,”
Russian media attributed the attack to Ukrainian forces, though Kyiv has not commented on the claims.
The RIA news agency also reported hearing three explosions in the city after 9:00 am (7am GMT +1).
Meanwhile, President Putin attended an Easter service in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, led by Patriarch Kirill, a vocal supporter of the war.
On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of violating the truce from the outset. Citing a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, Zelensky said Russian forces had carried out 59 shelling incidents and five assaults along the front line as of 6:00 am local time on Sunday.
He further reported that, between the start of the truce and midnight, Ukraine faced 387 shelling attacks, 19 ground assaults, and 290 drone uses by Russian forces.
“Russia is trying to give the impression of a ceasefire, but in reality continues limited offensive actions,” Zelensky said on X, adding that Ukraine would respond “symmetrically” to any attacks.
Putin’s truce order followed months of diplomatic efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire. On Friday, the United States threatened to withdraw from talks if no progress was made.
In a televised meeting with Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, Putin said the ceasefire was a test of Ukraine’s willingness to pursue peace.
“Our troops must remain alert in case of provocations,” he warned.
Zelensky responded by saying Ukraine would honor the truce and offered to extend it by 30 days.
“Russia must fully comply with the ceasefire. Ukraine’s proposal for a 30-day extension remains on the table,” he said adding that the truce “could give peace a chance,” though Putin had previously rejected a longer ceasefire.
