Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations

Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of hundreds of ceasefire violations

During the brief Orthodox Easter ceasefire, Ukraine and Russia have exchanged accusations of numerous breaches, with each side claiming the other committed hundreds of infractions. The Ukrainian military reported that Russian forces had carried out 2,299 violations since the pause began at 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, including the killing of four unarmed soldiers. In response, the Russian defence ministry stated that Ukrainian troops had breached the truce 1,971 times, citing three attempted counter-attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked earlier that his forces would respond “symmetrically” to Russian assaults during the ceasefire, calling Easter “a time of peace.” He expressed hope the agreement could be extended beyond the holiday to aid peace talks, which have stalled due to the Middle East conflict. Russia dismissed this proposal, asserting that its attacks would resume on Monday.

Russian troops launched 28 assaults and nearly 2,000 drone strikes, according to Ukraine’s military, though they avoided using bombs or missiles. In the Kharkiv region, Russian forces executed four Ukrainian soldiers after the ceasefire took effect, as noted by the local prosecutor’s office. This act was labeled a “grave violation of international humanitarian law.” Ukraine contested this, stating the soldiers were shot after being disarmed and calling it “another war crime by Russia.”

Local Ukrainian authorities released an image captured by a drone, showing four bodies in a field. Meanwhile, in the northern Sumy region, near the Russian border, a drone strike hit an ambulance, injuring three medical personnel. Russia claimed Ukraine conducted three overnight attacks on positions in Pokrovsk and Otradne, and that Ukrainian advances in Sumy and Donetsk were “thwarted.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the Easter ceasefire earlier in the week, following his initial reluctance to Ukraine’s repeated requests for a temporary pause. Zelensky said his forces would act in kind. Earlier this year, Putin had agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure as Ukraine prepared for harsh winter conditions. Both sides initially reported limited breaches in the first hours of the truce, later escalating their claims.

On Saturday, Ukrainian and Russian authorities announced the exchange of 175 prisoners of war, with seven civilians swapped by each side. Despite the ceasefire, frontline troops and civilians remain skeptical, with Kyiv advocating for a broader pause to progress towards ending the full-scale invasion. Moscow, however, insists on securing a peace deal first, leading to allegations of insincerity in the conflict’s resolution.