Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine on Saturday, calling for a 30-hour pause in hostilities. The truce, announced on humanitarian grounds, was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Moscow time and extend until midnight on Sunday.
In a televised address to top military officials, Putin ordered all Russian forces to halt military activities for the duration of the truce. However, he emphasized that troops should remain prepared to respond to any violations or provocations.
“We expect Ukraine to reciprocate,” Putin said, while cautioning that Russian forces would defend themselves if necessary.
Despite the announcement, air raid sirens were reported in Kyiv less than an hour before the ceasefire was due to take effect. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the proposal, calling it a political maneuver and accusing Russia of continuing airstrikes in the lead-up to the ceasefire. He also condemned the use of Shahed drones over Ukrainian territory, citing them as evidence of Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that its forces would observe the truce, provided it was equally respected by Ukraine.
The ceasefire announcement comes amid growing pressure from Washington, where officials have warned that continued peace negotiations could be abandoned unless both sides show concrete signs of de-escalation. A Russian envoy who recently visited the United States shared news of the truce online, describing it as a step toward peace.
Last month, Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal reportedly backed by U.S. officials, but Moscow declined. The two sides only agreed to limited pauses in strikes on specific targets, with mutual accusations of ceasefire violations persisting.
Putin’s move also follows a deadly missile strike in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy that killed 35 people and injured nearly 120 others, including churchgoers marking Palm Sunday. The attack—one of the deadliest against civilians so far this year—has intensified calls from Kyiv and European allies for stronger international action.
This is not the first time Russia has announced a unilateral pause in fighting. A similar ceasefire declared for Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 had little impact, with Ukraine rejecting the offer and combat operations largely continuing.
