Russia’s Putin declares unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, ordering his forces to end hostilities at 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian air defence units were repelling an attack by Russian drones on Saturday, saying that showed true Moscow’s attitude to Easter and the lives of people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a temporary Easter ceasefire, ordering his military to halt operations during the holiday as a humanitarian gesture. Speaking at a Kremlin meeting with military chief Valery Gerasimov, Putin said he expects Ukraine to do the same but warned that Russian forces must stay ready to respond to any attacks or provocations.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said that the US will step back from trying to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine if clear progress isn’t made soon.

The war began on February 24, 2022, when Putin sent Russian troops into Ukraine. He has stated many times that he wants the war to end but insists that Ukraine must give up its bid to join NATO and pull its forces out of four regions claimed by Russia. Ukraine has rejected these demands, calling them unacceptable and equivalent to surrender.

Putin also said that Russia supports peace efforts by the US, China, and the BRICS nations to help end the conflict.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it had given instructions on the ceasefire to all group commanders in the area of the “special military operation”, the Kremlin’s term for the war.

Russian troops will adhere to the ceasefire provided it is “mutually respected” by Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry said Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner of war swap of 246 prisoners each on Saturday, mediated by the UAE.

The Russian POWs are in Belarus, the ministry said, where they were being provided with medical and psychological care.