Russia accuses Ukraine of violating Easter truce
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The Russian Defense Ministry says Ukrainian forces tried to attack the positions of Russian troops in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) regardless of the Easter truce.
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A soldier passes by a damaged church in Kostyantynivka, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, on April 19, 2025 (AP)
The Russian military have completely adhered to the Easter truce since Saturday at 6 pm Moscow time (15:00 GMT), according to the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday.
"All groups of forces in the zone of the special military operation have been strictly observing the ceasefire regime since 18:00 on April 19 and remained on the previously taken lines and positions," a ministry statement revealed.
Despite the Easter truce, Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack Russian army positions in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the ministry said.
"Regardless of declaration of the Easter ceasefire regime, the units of the Ukrainian armed forces tried to attack the positions of the Russian troops in the areas of the villages of Sukhaya Balka [also known as Sukha Balka] and Bogatyr [Bahatyr] of the Donetsk People's Republic at night. The attacks were repelled."
Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed an Easter ceasefire on Saturday, beginning at 6:00 pm Moscow time and lasting until midnight Sunday into Monday.
In a meeting with the Russian military's Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, Putin said, "Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 6:00 p.m. to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order that all military actions be stopped for this period."
He asserted that Russian soldiers must be prepared to counter any potential ceasefire violations or provocations from Ukraine.
Following Putin's announcement of a truce, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country "will act accordingly -- mirroring Russia's actions."
He also proposed "extending it beyond the Easter day of April 20," while accusing Russia of having broken its promise, citing assault operations on several frontlines.
Kiev carried out 900 UAV attacks, ammunition drops on Russia overnight
According to the ministry, Ukrainian military forces launched 900 drone strikes and ammunition drops on Russian territory overnight, despite the Easter truce, resulting in civilian fatalities.
"Also during the night the enemy used 48 unmanned aerial vehicles of aircraft type, including one drone on Crimea. The Ukrainian units fired 444 times from guns and mortars at the positions of the Russian troops, carried out 900 strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles of quadrocopter type and drops of various ammunition, including 12 shellings, 33 UAV strikes and seven ammunition drops on the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions," the ministry announced.
It added that the strikes caused human fatalities and damage to civilian objects.
In a related context, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russia's Zapad (West) forces seized control of the settlement of Novomikhaylovka (also known as Novomykhailivka) in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) prior to the start of the Easter truce.
The Zapad group's soldiers also destroyed many brigades of Ukrainian armed forces in Kharkov and the DPR, the ministry added.
As a consequence, Kiev has lost up to 245 military members, a tank, and a Grad multiple launch rocket system, according to the ministry, which also stated that three ammo warehouses were damaged.
