Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire that took effect less than 24 hours earlier. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to abide by the ceasefire, but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations. A Ukrainian military officer had said on Saturday that Russian forces had continued to attack their positions. Mr Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it.

Source: Irish Examiner April 12, 2026 12:31 UTC