KYIV, Ukraine — Both sides in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine are trading accusations over violations of a brief Orthodox Easter truce that lasted less than a full day.
On Thursday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced a temporary 32-hour halt to fighting during the Orthodox Easter holiday, with Russian troops ordered to stop all combat operations starting Saturday at 4 p.m. through the end of Sunday.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to honor the temporary truce but cautioned that his forces would respond quickly to any breaches of the agreement.
By Sunday morning, Ukraine’s military command reported documenting 2,299 instances where the ceasefire was broken by 7 a.m. local time. These incidents included attacks, artillery fire, and launches of small unmanned aircraft, according to their official statement. However, they noted no reports of long-range drone strikes, missile attacks, or precision-guided munitions being used.
A Ukrainian military official speaking to The Associated Press on Saturday confirmed that Russian troops had maintained their offensive operations against Ukrainian positions.
Moscow’s Defense Ministry countered with its own allegations Sunday, claiming Ukrainian forces violated the ceasefire 1,971 times. Russian officials specifically cited drone attacks targeting the Kursk and Belgorod regions that reportedly wounded civilians.
This pattern of failed truces has become familiar, with both nations consistently blaming the other side when temporary ceasefires collapse.
Last year during Orthodox Easter, Putin similarly announced a unilateral 30-hour pause in fighting, but that truce also fell apart with mutual accusations of violations from both sides.
