Russia Resumes Missile and Drone Strikes on Ukraine as Easter Ceasefire Ends

World

Russia launched a heavy barrage of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine as the temporary Easter ceasefire, declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, expired. The ceasefire, which lasted only 30 hours, was meant to mark the Easter holiday, but major hostilities resumed almost immediately after its conclusion.

Overnight, Russian forces fired 96 drones and three missiles at targets across eastern and southern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The regions targeted included Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy, with Ukrainian air defense intercepting 42 drones and redirecting another 47.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage, although officials in the southern port city of Mykolaiv confirmed missile strikes.

Putin’s Easter Truce: President Putin announced the short-lived ceasefire on Saturday evening, citing humanitarian reasons. It was set to last for 30 hours, ending at midnight on Sunday. The move came amidst ongoing international efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the ongoing war. However, it was widely viewed with skepticism by Ukraine and other international actors.

Ukrainian Response: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the 30-hour truce as insufficient and described it as another attempt by Putin to manipulate the situation for propaganda. Zelenskyy argued that such a brief pause would not foster peace or trust, suggesting that only a longer truce could demonstrate Russia's genuine intentions.

“This will show Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours is enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures. Thirty days can give peace a chance,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.

US Involvement: The United States had expressed interest in facilitating a longer ceasefire but indicated frustration with the lack of significant progress. President Donald Trump said that Washington would “take a pass” on brokering an end to the war if the ceasefire discussions were delayed any longer.

On Sunday, the US Department of State welcomed any extension of the temporary truce, signaling a continued interest in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict.

However, by the time the US made this statement, the Kremlin had already rejected the idea of extending the ceasefire, and the missile and drone attacks resumed shortly thereafter.

The short-lived ceasefire and the subsequent resumption of hostilities underline the continued volatility of the conflict, with both sides at an impasse despite international calls for peace.