Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise announcement on Saturday, April 19, 2025, declaring a 30-hour Easter ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine. The ceasefire began at 18:00 PM Moscow time and is set to last until midnight on Monday, April 21.
Despite the declared truce, air raid sirens reportedly sounded across multiple Ukrainian cities, and Russian drones were observed in the sky, according to Ukrainian sources. Putin stated, “We expect the Ukrainian side to follow our example,” adding that the ceasefire would allow Russia to assess Kyiv’s sincerity regarding its desire for peace.
The announcement came just hours after the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces had expelled Ukrainian troops from one of their final strongholds in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian forces had launched a surprise incursion there, aiming to preempt potential Russian offensives against Sumy and Kharkiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the ceasefire announcement, calling it “another of Putin’s attempts to manipulate human lives.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces remain active in the Kursk region and have expanded their control zone into Russia’s Belgorod region.
He further noted that at the time of the ceasefire announcement, Russian attack drones were detected over Ukrainian territory, prompting ongoing operations by Ukrainian air defense units to intercept them.
Kyiv views the truce as a potential tactical maneuver by Moscow rather than a genuine peace initiative. With drone strikes continuing and the fog of war still thick, whether the ceasefire will truly hold remains uncertain.
