Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a social media post on Sunday, said that the Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Easter Day. He noted that these attacks come despite President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a 30-hour ceasefire in observance of Easter. “Despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones has been observed since 10:00 a.m. – with FPV drone usage alone doubling by the Russian army,” the Ukrainian President said.
Zelenskyy further wrote on X, “We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners.” He added that either Putin does not have full control over his army, or Russia has no intention of a genuine move toward ending the war.
A new report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi on the frontline as of 12:00 p.m. on Easter Day.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 20, 2025
Despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones has been observed since 10:00 a.m. – with FPV drone…
Zelenskyy Urges International Community To Pressure Moscow
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy urged the international community to pressure Moscow to commit to a full ceasefire and maintain it for at least 30 days after Easter, giving diplomacy a real chance to succeed.
He thanked the media, podcasters, and bloggers for sharing the truth about the situation. “A new report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi on the frontline as of 12:00 p.m. on Easter Day. Despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones has been observed since 10:00 am, with FPV drone usage alone doubling by the Russian army. The most active Russian operations this morning have been carried out in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Putin Had Declared Easter Ceasefire
In a video shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia on X, President Putin said, “The Russian Side announces an Easter ceasefire from 06:00 pm today to 00:00 am Monday. This is done for humanitarian reasons. I hereby order all military operations ceased for this period.” This is the second ceasefire to be announced since the conflict began in 2022. A previous attempt at a ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 failed after both sides were unable to agree on a proposal.