War in Ukraine: Putin announces fire break for Easter – Ukraine skeptically

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin surprisingly proclaimed a short fire break for Easter in his war against Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow said that the ceasefire was respected by the Russian troops on the condition that the Ukrainian armed forces also adhered to it. The fire break should therefore apply 30 hours – from early Saturday evening to midnight on Easter Sunday.

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj initially reacted skeptically – and referred to ongoing attacks in Russia. “As far as Putin’s new attempt to play with human life, the air alarm is heard in many parts of Ukraine,” Selenskyj wrote on the platform X. 45 minutes before the fire break came into force, Russian fight drones in the sky above Ukraine were spotted. The air defense has already opened the fire. “Shahehed drones in our sky expose Putin’s true attitude towards Easter and lives,” criticized Selenskyj.

Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha also commented critically. In a contribution on platform X, he recalled that Ukraine had approved the US proposal for a 30-day break in Dschidda in early March. However, Russia rejected and instead provided a number of preconditions. “30 hours instead of 30 days,” Sybiha summarized Putin’s offer. “We know that we cannot trust his words and that we look at the deeds, and not the words.”

After a meeting of Putin with chief of staff Waleri Gerassimow, the Kremlin announced that the Russian side would stop all hostilities from 6 p.m. Moscow Zeit (5 p.m. CEST) on April 19 to 00:00 (Moscow Time) on April 21. At the same time, Putin wished all Russian fighters on the fronts in Ukraine a happy Easter. The Easter of the Orthodox Church coincides with the Easter of the Catholic and Evangelical Church this year.

Increasing pressure from Washington

It initially remained unclear whether Ukraine would also stop fire over Easter. Putin said according to Tass, he hoped. “The reaction of Ukraine will show how seriously she is ready and able to take part in peace talks,” said Putin.

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that the ceasefire would be introduced for humanitarian reasons. The background to this decision was initially unclear. Putin had already ordered his troops to his troops in January 2023 for his troops a healing fire at the fronts in Ukraine.

Most recently, Washington had increased the pressure on the warring parties to agree to the recording of peace talks soon. US President Donald Trump made it clear that he wants to see quick progress so that the war in Ukraine finally ends – otherwise his government could hire her efforts. He wanted to see an agreement “very soon”, said Trump in the White House. He did not specify how many days meant.

The US President emphasized that if the compromise on both sides is lacking, he was not interested in continuing his mediation efforts. “If one of the two parties makes it very difficult for some reason, we will simply say: you are stupid. You are fools, you are terrible people, and we will just leave it,” he said. “But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”

Rocket alarm in Ukraine

The Russian armed forces had slowly and with high losses in the past few months in the east of Ukraine. According to the State Agency Tass, Putin represented the development as follows: “The situation on the contact line is clear and develops in a convenient way,” he said. “The Russian troops move step by step and confident.”

At the same time as the announcement of the fire break by Putin, the Ukrainian capital Kiev alarm was triggered before a possible rocket attack. At the same time, the air defense took Russian drones under fire, as Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram.

In the South Ukrainian city of Cherson, a drone hit in a multi -storey residential building. It was unclear whether this had happened before or after the entry into force of the fire break arranged by Moscow. In a photo that Selenskyj’s consultant Andrij Jermak released on X, there was a burning building. “The Russians continue to attack civilians in Cherson,” he commented.

Russians and Ukrainians exchange prisoners

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war again on Holy Saturday. 246 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers each returned to their own troops in a place on the border with Belarus, which had not been described in more detail, the Ministry of Defense said in Moscow. “In addition, 31 wounded prisoners of war were handed over to the gesture of good will in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers who urgently need to be medical care,” the statement said.

The exchange was conveyed by the United Arab Emirates. The warring parties have exchanged several prisoners of war in the more than three years since the beginning of the Russian invasion. According to President Selenskyj, 4,552 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were able to return home.