Russia committed ‘hundreds of breaches’ of Vladimir Putin‘s much-vaunted Easter truce – but his ballistic missiles and most large killer kamikaze drones were grounded.
Volodymyr Zelensky challenged the Kremlin warmonger to continue the 30-hour ceasefire for 30 days, as US President Donald Trump had earlier demanded.
Few experts expect Putin – who attended a late night Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour along with Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin – to agree since he is advancing in many areas along the frontline.
The lull – which Zelensky ordered Ukrainian forces to respect – followed weeks of Putin pounding civilians, killing innocent people including children.
Despite this, pictures show how a Russian drone targeted a civilian car more than an hour into Putin’s truce at Urozhayne, in Kherson region.
An hour later, another drone attacked the settlement.
Footage showed an apartment block ablaze in the Dnipro district of Kherson – after a brutal strike on civilians minutes before the Putin truce came into effect.
A Kherson civilian man, born in 1967, died from strikes ahead of the lull.
Vladimir Putin attended a late night Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour along with Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin
Pictures show how a Russian drone targeted a civilian car more than an hour into Putin’s truce at Urozhayne, in Kherson region
Footage showed an apartment block ablaze in the Dnipro district of Kherson – after a brutal strike on civilians minutes before the Putin truce came into effect
Volodymyr Zelensky challenged the Kremlin warmonger to continue the 30-hour ceasefire for 30 days, as Donald Trump had earlier demanded
‘If complete silence really reigns, Ukraine proposes to extend it beyond Easter [Sunday] on April 20,’ said the Ukrainian president.
‘This will show Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours are enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures. Thirty days can give peace a chance.’
Zelensky released Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s report by 6am on Eastern Sunday which showed Putin’s forces had cynically flouted their own limited ceasefire.
‘There have already been 59 Russian shellings and five assault actions by Russian units in various directions of the front line,’ said Syrskyi.
‘One combat clash was recorded in the Starobilsk [sector], three combat clashes in the Pokrovsky direction and the Novopavlivsky direction in the Donetsk [sector], and one in the Stepovye area in the Zaporizhia direction.’
There were ‘dozens of enemy FPV [drone engagements].
Russia in its Kursk region also continued to press Ukrainians holding a limited area of Putin’s territory.
Zelensky said: ‘Between 18:00 yesterday and 00:00 today [after Putin announced the truce], there were 387 shellings and 19 assault actions by the Russian army.
‘The Russians used drones 290 times.
‘In general, as of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine.
‘Russia must fully comply with the conditions of silence.
‘The Ukrainian proposal to implement and extend the silence for 30 days after 24:00 today remains valid.
‘We will act in accordance with the real situation.’
Vladimir Putin attends an Easter service in Moscow with the city’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin
Zelensky released Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s report by 6am on Eastern Sunday which showed Putin’s forces had cynically flouted their own limited ceasefire
Russia in its Kursk region also continued to press Ukrainians holding a limited area of Putin’s territory
He stressed: ‘Our soldiers are responding everywhere as the enemy deserves in specific combat circumstances. Ukraine will continue to act in a mirror manner.’
Despite this, Putin did not use his powerful missiles or heavy drones to destroy civilian facilities as he has done in recent days and weeks.
Russian military channels admitted the Easter truce was announced to impress Trump – and is being used to rotate troops.
Rybar Telegram channel said a 30-hour ceasefire ‘will not give the enemy a significant military advantage, but will become an important element strengthening Russia’s diplomatic position’.
It stated: ‘Being the first to announce a ceasefire and demonstrating readiness for a peace initiative is, first and foremost, work for an external audience.
‘Especially against the backdrop of ongoing consultations with foreign countries.’
Military channel Two Majors said Russian forces should ‘strictly observe the ceasefire objectives’ adding: ‘It is you who determine Russia’s political agenda in the international arena today.’
Wear proponent Boris Rozhin boasted: ‘Even a temporary truce for a day without drone strikes and without intensive shelling will allow for the desired rotation to be carried out in certain areas, which in normal frontline conditions is either difficult or simply impossible.’
