Both Russia and Ukraine are blaming each other for violating a brief Orthodox Easter ceasefire in their ongoing conflict, with each side reporting extensive military activity just hours after the truce took effect Saturday.
Moscow’s defense ministry documented 1,971 violations of the ceasefire through Sunday morning, while Ukrainian military officials counted 479 artillery attacks and over 1,700 drone operations conducted by Russian forces.
The temporary halt in fighting was timed to coincide with Orthodox Easter Sunday, which follows the religious calendar observed by the majority populations in both nations.
Russian officials reported that a child was hurt during a Ukrainian drone strike in the Kursk region, and Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced that two people died from Ukrainian artillery fire.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s State Emergencies Service confirmed that two civilians sustained injuries Sunday from a Russian drone attack in the Kharkiv region.
Independent confirmation of these military activities could not be obtained by news organizations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared the temporary Orthodox Easter ceasefire on April 9, with the agreement scheduled to conclude at midnight Sunday (2100 GMT).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accepted the truce proposal, despite Moscow having previously rejected similar ceasefire initiatives from Ukraine.
