Ukraine war latest: Zelensky accuses Putin of breaking Easter truce

Ukraine has shot at the positions of Russian troops 444 times despite the Easter ceasefire, Russian news agency IFX has claimed, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

The Russian military had gained control of Novomikhailivka in eastern Ukraine before Vladimir Putin’s declaration of the Easter ceasefire, Russian state news agency RIA has reported, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

Ukraine launched 48 drones at Russia overnight including one in Crimea, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

Several blasts ripped through Russian-controlled Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Sunday amid an Easter ceasefire declared by the Kremlin, Russian news agency reported.

The TASS state news agency, citing local “operative services”, said at least three blasts were heard in the city, which has been under Russia’s control since 2014.

The RIA news agency also said that at least three explosions were heard in the city after 9am (7am BST), citing its reporter in the area.

The battlefield reports could not be immediately independently verified.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise one-day ceasefire in Ukraine on Saturday for Easter, but Kyiv said Russian forces continued artillery fire and called instead for an extended true halt to hostilities.

Easter is a day that “gives us all hope” with meanings rooted in the story of Christ and a message that resonates “in every Ukrainian heart”, the Ukrainian president said on Sunday.

The message “strengthens our faith, which, despite everything, has not faded over 1,152 days of full-scale war,” Zelensky said.

“Each of us has lived through such moments – when it hurts deeply, when it’s unbearably hard, and you ask: ‘God, why is this happening to us? The strikes, the explosions, the gunfire – all this suffering’,” he said.

Zelensky said there was “God” within Ukrainians in their “willpower. Resilience. Compassion and humanity.”

“This is His presence. He is within our people. And so, there is light in people,” he said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a special message to Ukrainians on the occasion of Easter, that “sooner or later…evil will retreat”, seemingly referring to the Russian invasion of the country.

“Evil may have its hour, but God will have His day. This is one of the meanings enshrined in the story of Christ,” Zelensky said, adding that “sooner or later, yet inevitably, evil will retreat, and life will triumph”.

“May evil’s hour end. May the day of life arrive. The day of peace. The day of Ukraine,” he said.

“May there be peace. May there be Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president added.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said “humanitarian considerations” were behind his decision to announce an Easter ceasefire yesterday.

“Based on humanitarian considerations, today starting from 6pm (3pm GMT) to 12am Monday the Russian side announces an Easter ceasefire,” Putin told his military chief, Valery Gerasimov, at a Kremlin meeting.

The Russian president said the temporary truce would demonstrate whether Kyiv was willing to comply with agreements and participate in peace negotiations, which he said will be aimed at “eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis”.

Russia uses the “root causes” phrase to refer to its pre-war demands for Ukraine to never be a part of Nato and for regime change in Kyiv.

However, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused his Russian counterpart of making the announcement for “headlines” instead of showing genuine confidence-building peace measures.

Zelensky said Russian troops continue to carry out attacks despite the ceasefire announcement.

Observers suspect Russia is attempting to curry favour with the US and portray itself as an agreeable negotiating partner with the limited ceasefire announcement.

American diplomats are growing frustrated that the Kremlin officials have “dragged their feet” regarding US president Donald Trump’s proposed unconditional general ceasefire, TheNew York Times reported, citing European officials privy to peace deal discussions.

Trump is also “losing his patience” and may withdraw from the peace process, Axios reported, citing two European diplomats.

The US president also said yesterday that he hopes to conclude a peace deal in Ukraine “quickly” and that if either Ukraine or Russia “makes it very difficult” then “we’re just going to take a pass”.

Russian missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Friday killed one civilian and injured at least 120 Ukrainians, according to the region’s governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The attack using ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions also damaged over 50 apartment buildings and over 30 vehicles, he said.

In recent times, Ukraine has accused Russia of increasingly using cluster munitions to cause widespread damage.

For instance, Ballistic missiles with cluster munition warheads struck Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on 4 April, causing at least 89 casualties, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Such attacks in recent weeks are increasingly targeting civilian areas, Ukraine claims.