Ukraine Seeks to Extend Orthodox Easter Ceasefire Amid Renewed Clashes
Zelensky’s pitch for peace (and a quiet holiday)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine offered Russia an extension of the ceasefire observed over Orthodox Easter. He explained that top military and security officials reviewed the situation and that Ukrainian forces would only fire back if the truce was violated.
Zelensky framed Easter as a time that should be safer and suggested it would be better if the ceasefire continued. He also said the proposal had been sent to Russian authorities. The Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin declared an Easter truce running from 4:00 p.m. on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026.
Truce begins but clashes are reported
The cessation of hostilities officially started at 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, marking the fourth formal ceasefire attempt since the full-scale conflict began in February 2022. Despite the agreement, Ukrainian military authorities reported hundreds of violations within hours, including ground assaults, air strikes and drone attacks.
Ukraine’s General Staff logged 469 ceasefire breaches soon after the truce took effect. Kyiv warned that its forces would respond immediately and in a proportional manner to any attacks, while maintaining that units on the front lines retain the right to defend themselves.
Casualties, damage and emergency response
The violence during the truce period caused both injuries and deaths. At least 15 people were wounded in the Donetsk region—mostly in Kramatorsk, with others in Druzhkivka, Dobropillya and Sloviansk. On Saturday, four people were killed: three in the Kherson region and one in Sumy.
Officials reported damage to homes and infrastructure, including eight high-rise buildings, 16 private houses, a hotel, commercial premises, a gas station, a gas pipeline and several vehicles and public transport units. A drone strike in Glukhiv, Sumy struck a vehicle and injured three paramedics, who received treatment and were not in life-threatening condition. In Shostka region, a 29-year-old woman later died in hospital after being seriously wounded in a bombing.