Russia and Ukraine on Saturday accused one another of violating a brief ceasefire put in place to mark Orthodox Easter, hours into the 32-hour truce. Ukraine’s military said Russian forces had committed 469 ceasefire violations, including 22 assault actions, 153 shelling attacks, and 19 drone strikes. In total, Ukraine reported 57 Russian airstrikes and 182 guided aerial bombs on Saturday.
Russia’s Kursk region governor Alexander Khinshtein blamed Kyiv for breaking the truce by striking a gas station in the town of Lgov with a drone, injuring three people including a baby. Ukrainian drones also reportedly attacked targets in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, wounding five people, according to Russian officials.
Despite the tensions, both sides exchanged 175 prisoners of war each. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 175 servicemen and seven civilians had been returned from Russian captivity. A Ukrainian defence intelligence representative said 163 of those freed had been held since 2022. Russia’s defence ministry said the United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange, and that Russia received 175 servicemen and seven civilians from the Kursk region.
President Vladimir Putin attended Easter services at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, describing Easter as the “triumph of love, good and justice”. He thanked Orthodox Patriarch Kirill for supporting those fighting in Russia’s military campaign. Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, made no mention of alleged violations but said Ukraine would stick to the truce and wished it could continue longer, stating that Russia’s response would show the world who truly wants peace.
The ceasefire’s collapse comes as Hungarians vote in an election that could end Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. An Orbán defeat could unblock a €90bn EU loan vital for Ukraine and deprive Russia of its closest EU ally.
