There was a lull in hostilities, but Kiev’s forces did not fully adhere to Moscow’s proposed truce, the Defense Ministry has said
There was a marked decline in the intensity of Ukrainian attacks on Sunday following Russia’s unilateral declaration of an Easter ceasefire, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported. However, Kiev’s forces continued their operations, logging approximately 4,900 violations during this period.
On Saturday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the 30-hour halt to hostilities, instructing troops to engage only in response to Ukrainian actions. On Monday morning, the Russian military issued a report detailing its observations.
“Overall, the intensity of fire and offensive actions by the opponent significantly decreased along the entire frontline during daylight hours,” it stated. Nonetheless, the lull was only partial, with drone and artillery strikes noted over the weekend, the ministry added.
According to the statement, Ukrainian forces executed six separate offensive maneuvers and deployed 90 fixed-wing drones, eight of which targeted areas outside the combat zone. The predominant violations involved short-range drones attacking Russian positions, with over 3,300 such incidents recorded.
“After the ceasefire term expired, the Russian armed forces resumed the special military operation,” the statement continued, offering a brief overview of combat activities that occurred following the midnight deadline.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky had assured that Kiev’s forces would refrain from initiating attacks and later claimed that the Russians hadn’t fully observed the ceasefire.
Zelensky contended that Russia could only prove its commitment to peace by accepting an unconditional 30-day truce. Putin has previously remarked that Kiev would exploit a prolonged pause for rearmament and reinforcement, clarifying Moscow’s hesitations.
In mid-March, Putin temporarily suspended attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure at the request of US President Donald Trump, who is seeking to mediate an end to the conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry subsequently reported numerous Ukrainian attacks, which it characterized as violations of the agreement that ultimately expired last week.
