3,000 Violations in 48 Hours: Russia Shatters Its Own Easter Ceasefire
Despite the Easter ceasefire declared by Moscow, Russian forces have violated the truce nearly 3,000 times across the front line, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
The Gaze reports about this, referring to Reuters.
The unilateral ceasefire, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was intended to take effect at 6 p.m. on April 19 and last until midnight on April 21.
As of 1:55 a.m. on April 21, President Zelensky reported 2,935 violations by Russian troops. These included 96 assaults on Ukrainian positions, 1,882 instances of shelling – 812 involving heavy weaponry – and over 950 attacks using first-person-view (FPV) drones. “Russia has broken its own promise across every major front line,” Zelensky said, citing a briefing by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The president emphasized that the most intense fighting was occurring in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Pokrovsk and Siversk sectors of Donetsk Oblast. Reports also indicated multiple FPV drone strikes targeting civilian areas in Kherson Oblast, resulting in one fatality and at least four injuries.
Zelensky condemned the Kremlin’s actions: "Either Putin lacks control over his forces, or this proves Russia is never serious about peace and is only pursuing a public relations narrative.” He reiterated his call for a genuine 30-day ceasefire, including a ban on missile and drone strikes against civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine continues to document all breaches of the truce and is prepared to share the findings with international partners. “We will respond to silence with silence, but our strikes will come in defense,” Zelensky affirmed.
In contrast, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces “strictly adhered to the ceasefire,” while Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of using U.S.-supplied HIMARS missiles during the truce. Additionally, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that President Putin had not ordered an extension of the ceasefire, which expired shortly afterward.
Read more on The Gaze: Why Russia May Advance Further Into Europe If Not Stopped.