Russia ends Easter truce, resumes strikes – DW – 04/21/2025

Russian forces on Monday resumed fighting in Ukraine after the Easter ceasefire declared by President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported.

“With the end of the ceasefire, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to conduct the special military operation,” the Russian military said in a statement, using its term for the conflict.

On Monday, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had resumed air attacks, launching 96 drones and three missiles, causing damage in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions.

The military wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian air defence units had shot down 42 Russian drones, and 47 others were redirected by electronic warfare.

Putin announced a 30-hour surprise Easter truce on Saturday, which was later marked by several violations, both sides said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted Monday that Moscow’s forces had strictly observed the ceasefire and remained in their positions.

China on Monday said it welcomed “all efforts” towards achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine, after an Easter truce that both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violating.

“China is pleased to see all efforts that lead to a ceasefire, which is a necessary step towards peace,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference

Gou said China hoped that “all parties concerned will continue to resolve the crisis through dialogue and negotiation.”

China says it has remained neutral in the Ukraine war but has maintained strong diplomatic and economic ties with Russia.

Beijing has also put forward its own proposals for a peaceful resolution, though these have been met with skepticism from Kyiv and its allies.

The US State Department said on Sunday that it would welcome the extension of an Easter ceasefire beyond just one day – but the Kremlin said no such orders had been given.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had unilaterally declared a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce. Kyiv responded by pledging to mirror Russia’s actions, but both Russian and Ukrainian officials subsequently accused each other of continuing to launch artillery and drone attacks.

Asked by Russia’s state TASS news agency whether the supposed ceasefire could be extended, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday evening: “There were no other commands.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia was continuing to use “heavy weaponry” despite the declared truce.

“The most active Russian operations this morning have been carried out in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions,” Syrskyi said in his afternoon update, referring to embattled towns in the eastern Donetsk region.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that “hopefully” a deal can be struck “this week” without specifying what that arrangement would entail.

“Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” he wrote in all capital letters on his Truth Social platform.

“Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune,” he said.

Trump recently called on Kyiv and Moscow to show willingness to compromise in the war that started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a brief ceasefire for the Easter holiday, but both sides have since pointed their fingers, accusing each other of breaking the truce.

Russia and Ukraine traded allegations of Easter ceasefire breaches on Sunday with both sides reporting mass drone and artillery attacks.

Kyiv’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones had been observed while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of 2,000 ceasefire violations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a 30-hour ceasefire for Easter Sunday, but both sides accused each other of breaching it, with Kyiv insisting it has only been launching reciprocal, defensive strikes.

Given that the truce violations have reportedly involved artillery rather than airborne missiles, Zelenskyy has still proposed “[ceasing] any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days” – with a possible extension.

“This is a format of ceasefire that has been achieved and that is the easiest to extend,” he said.

“If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it intends to continue doing only those things which destroy human lives and prolong the war.”

Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry says it had “repelled” Ukrainian attacks during the brief truce. Moscow also accused Kyiv of launching drones and shells, causing civilian casualties.

The 30-hour unilateral “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin ended a few hours ago.

Despite Kyiv and Moscow trading allegations of breaching the temporary ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed suspending drone, cruise missile, and rocket attacks on civilian targets for at least another 30 days.

He was not the only one on Sunday holding out for some positive movement more than three years into Russia’s war against Ukraine. US President Donald Trump cryptically posted that “hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week.”

In this blog, we will keep you updated as the day unfolds.