Putin declares 'Easter Ceasefire' in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an unexpected Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, set to last until midnight on Sunday, marking the most significant pause in the conflict that has been ongoing for three years.

The short-term directive for Russian troops to stop all combat operations—though Ukraine has yet to confirm if it will follow suit—comes after months of efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to urge both Moscow and Kyiv to agree on a truce.

However, Trump has not been able to secure any major concessions from the Kremlin.

"Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said in televised comments during a meeting with the Russian chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Air raid sirens rang out across Ukraine on Saturday afternoon, including in the capital, Kyiv, but ceased just as Putin’s truce order appeared to take effect.

Easter, a significant Christian holiday, is celebrated on Sunday.

"I am ordering the cessation of all military actions during this period," Putin stated, describing the ceasefire as being driven by "humanitarian reasons."

"We are going on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow our example, while our troops must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions," Putin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed skepticism about the truce proposal in a social media post, accusing Putin of trying to "play with human lives."

He did not specify whether Ukraine would cease fighting during the ceasefire period.

In the eastern city of Kramatorsk, near the front line, soldiers told AFP that they believed any truce would have little lasting effect.

Putin "might do this to offer some hope or to demonstrate his humanity. But either way, we don’t trust Russia," said Dmitry, a 40-year-old soldier.

"These 30 hours won’t change anything; I don't expect any results. The killing of our people and theirs will undoubtedly continue," he added.

On Saturday, Russia and Ukraine also conducted a significant prisoner-of-war exchange, with both sides reporting the return of over 240 captured fighters.

Putin mentioned that General Gerasimov had informed him that Ukraine had "breached an agreement more than 100 times regarding strikes on energy infrastructure."

Russia had lifted its self-imposed moratorium on attacking Ukrainian energy targets on Friday, after both sides accused each other of violating an informal agreement, though no formal deal was ever made.

Putin stated that the latest truce proposal would demonstrate "how sincere the Kyiv regime's readiness is, its desire, and ability to adhere to agreements and engage in peace talks."

Zelensky responded, noting that air raid sirens were already sounding due to ongoing drone attacks just before Putin's ceasefire order was set to take effect.

"Regarding yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives—right now, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine," Zelensky wrote on X, around 15 minutes before the truce began.

"Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin's true stance on Easter and human life," he added, without confirming whether Ukraine would observe the proposed ceasefire.

The air raid alert in Kyiv ceased precisely at 1500 GMT.

Previous attempts at Easter ceasefires, in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023, failed as both sides could not reach an agreement.

Last month, Ukraine agreed to President Trump's proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, but Putin rejected it.

In Kramatorsk, Vladislav, a 22-year-old soldier, recalled a ceasefire that was put in place shortly after the conflict began in 2014, the same year Russia annexed Crimea. That truce collapsed within days.

"Our neighbors are so predictable, I don’t even know how to explain it. I feel like this will restart after a while, and it’s just going to continue," he said of the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine and Russia each announced the return of 246 soldiers in a prisoner-of-war exchange.

President Zelensky confirmed that the total number of released POWs now stands at 4,552.

Russian General Gerasimov also reported that Russian forces had reclaimed over 99 percent of the territory in the Kursk region that had been seized by Ukraine during an incursion in August.