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.

The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of placing military personnel and facilities within densely populated urban areas, effectively using civilians as human shields. Kyiv has not issued a response to this accusation.

According to Russian officials, the missiles used were Iskander-M tactical types, aimed at a location where Ukrainian armed forces were allegedly meeting. They claimed the strike killed over 60 Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack and called for a firm international response. The assault occurred on Palm Sunday, a religious holiday during which many people were attending church services.

“Only those without conscience could do this—taking innocent lives on a holy day,” Zelensky said.

The UK, Germany, and Italy leaders strongly condemned the strike. When asked about the incident, former U.S. President Donald Trump called it “terrible” and added, “I was told it was a mistake,” without further details.

In response to questions about Trump’s remark and whether the strike was accidental, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment directly. He said only the defense ministry speaks on military operations and repeated earlier claims that Russian forces strike only military or related targets.