Politics Ukraine war: Thousands of violations deplored during Easter ceasefire
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of thousands of violations during their agreed ceasefire for Orthodox Easter. However, unlike usual, according to the General Staff in Kiev, there were no attacks with Russian missiles and glide bombs and therefore fewer casualties and destruction overall than on the usual days of Moscow's war of aggression. Russia, in turn, also recorded no Ukrainian attacks on the oil industry, which is important for the war economy.
12.04.2026, 05:40
12.04.2026, 14:06
SDA
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had decreed that weapons should fall silent for 32 hours until midnight (23:00 CEST) on Sunday so that people in Russia and Ukraine could celebrate Easter in peace. This year, Orthodox Christians are celebrating Easter one week after the Western churches.
There was no real Easter truce. However, the warring parties exchanged hundreds of prisoners shortly before the start of the celebrations - 175 military personnel and 7 civilians each. Both sides announced that the repeated exchanges would be continued.
Tense situation at the front
However, the situation at the front remained tense. The warring parties had already expressed their distrust of the planned ceasefire in advance, as there had already been repeated violations during temporary ceasefires in the past. Both sides therefore repeatedly threatened to respond to attacks by the enemy.
The Ukrainian General Staff registered 2,299 violations of the ceasefire in force since Saturday. Specifically, there were 479 cases of shelling and around 1,800 attacks with small drones. "There were no strikes with rockets, gliding bombs or Shahed drones," the General Staff added.
Casualties in the Kharkiv region
The Ukrainian air force also confirmed that there had been an 18-hour break. In the morning, however, there had been a Russian drone attack relevant to air defense in the Sumy region. In the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, the authorities reported two casualties in a grocery store following a Russian drone attack during the ceasefire.
The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine of targeted attacks. "A total of 1,971 violations of the ceasefire by units of the Ukrainian armed forces were registered in the period from April 11, 4 p.m., to April 12, 8 a.m.," the ministry announced in Moscow. Despite the Easter truce, the Ukrainian army had attacked Russian positions in the Pokrovsk area in the Donetsk region and in the Dnipropetrovsk region, among others. "All attacks were repelled," it said.
Zelenskyi fails with proposal to extend ceasefire
Selensky also renewed his proposal to turn the ceasefire into a permanent truce. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Russian state television that fighting would resume at the end of the ceasefire if Zelenskyi did not decide to accept the Russian conditions for peace.
Peskov explained that Russia wanted a "lasting peace" and not a simple ceasefire. By this he means that Kiev should withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region, where, according to him, around 18 percent are still under Ukrainian control. Ukraine controls its strategically important cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk there. Zelenskyi categorically rejects the idea of making such territorial cessions as a gift to the Russian occupiers.
Zelensky praises the steadfastness of the Ukrainians
In his Easter message, Selensky paid tribute to the courage and steadfastness of his compatriots. The country had just survived the most difficult winter in its history, he said with a view. "We trust not only in the heavenly powers, but also in our security and defense forces," said Selensky.
Ukraine is defending itself unwaveringly. "So that the fifth Easter in times of war will be followed by the first peaceful Easter. In our entire country, for all our people," said Selensky, who recorded the video message with his wife Olena in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev.
Fighting continues - meeting planned in "Ramstein" format
Russia has already announced that it will resume fighting after the ceasefire expires - until Moscow's war aims have been achieved, according to Kremlin spokesman Peskov. According to him, the US-brokered negotiations on ending the war are on hold because Washington's negotiators are busy in the Iran war.
Following a telephone conversation with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius (SPD), Ukrainian Defense Minister Mychajlo Fedorow announced a new meeting in the so-called Ramstein format for next Wednesday. According to the ministry in Kiev, the talks of the Ukraine Contact Group will focus on how Russia can be forced to make peace.
