Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations
Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations
During the Orthodox Easter ceasefire, both Ukraine and Russia have levied mutual accusations of numerous breaches. Ukrainian forces reported 2,299 incidents, including the shooting of four unarmed soldiers, since the pause began at 16:00 local time on Saturday. Russian officials countered with 1,971 violations, citing three counter-attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that his troops would respond “symmetrically” to Russian assaults, framing Easter as “a time of peace.” He expressed hope the truce might last beyond the holiday to aid peace talks, which have stalled due to the Middle East conflict. Russia, however, dismissed this, stating it would restart attacks on Monday.
“We are responding in kind,” Zelensky stated, highlighting Ukraine’s readiness to counter Russian actions during the pause.
According to Ukrainian military data, Russian forces launched 28 attacks and nearly 2,000 drone strikes, though they avoided bombs or missiles. In the Kharkiv region, Russian troops executed four Ukrainian soldiers after the ceasefire began, per the local prosecutor’s office. This was labeled a “grave violation of international humanitarian law” by Ukrainian authorities, who called it “another war crime by Russia.”
Ukrainian officials shared a drone image showing four bodies in a clearing, suggesting the incident. In the northern Sumy region, near the Russian border, a drone strike hit an ambulance, injuring three medics. Russia claimed Ukraine conducted three overnight attacks in the Pokrovsk and Otradne areas, with efforts to advance in Sumy and Donetsk “thwarted.”
On Saturday, both sides swapped 175 prisoners, with seven civilians exchanged per side. Despite these gestures, frontline Ukrainian civilians and soldiers remain skeptical about the ceasefire’s effectiveness. Kyiv advocates for a broader pause, seeing it as essential for ending the full-scale invasion. Moscow, however, insists on securing a peace deal first, casting doubt on its commitment to resolution.
Earlier this year, Putin agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure after the US urged him, as Ukraine faced harsh winter conditions. Both sides initially exchanged limited accusations in the truce’s first hours, later escalating claims. The conflict, ongoing since 2022, has left expectations for peace largely unmet.
