A fragile pause in fighting between Russia and Ukraine has come into force over Orthodox Easter, offering a brief – if uncertain – respite after months of grinding conflict.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a temporary ceasefire, aligning it with the Orthodox religious holiday, more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first floated the idea. Both sides have agreed to observe the truce, which is scheduled to last 32 hours – from Saturday afternoon until the end of Sunday.
Kyiv, however, made clear it would not hesitate to act if the ceasefire is broken. Zelensky said Ukraine would match Russia’s actions exactly, signalling restraint only if Moscow does the same.
“Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind,” he wrote on X, adding that a complete halt to Russian attacks across air, land and sea would mean no retaliation from Ukrainian forces.
The Ukrainian military echoed that stance, warning it stood ready to respond “immediately” to any violations.
Bucha’s dead demand justice as Europe stands with Ukraine four years on
Last-minute strikes cast shadow
The hours leading up to the truce underscored just how fragile the arrangement may be. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched at least 160 drones across the country shortly before the ceasefire began, killing four people in eastern and southern regions and injuring dozens.
The southern Odesa region was particularly hard hit, with two fatalities and damage to civilian infrastructure reported.
At the same time, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted Russia’s Krasnodar region, sparking a fire at an oil depot and damaging residential buildings, according to local authorities. Russian-installed officials also said four people were killed in drone attacks on occupied parts of Donetsk and Kherson.
Such exchanges have done little to inspire confidence among civilians. Many Ukrainians remain sceptical that the truce will hold, recalling a similar Easter ceasefire last year that quickly unravelled amid mutual accusations of hundreds of violations.
Yet amid the tension, there was at least one sign of cooperation. Both sides carried out a prisoner-of-war exchange on Saturday, with 175 detainees returned by each. The swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, according to the Russian defence ministry, and highlights one of the few areas where dialogue has continued despite the broader conflict.
Will Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil exports weaken Moscow's war effort?
Diplomacy stalled as war grinds on
The ceasefire comes against a backdrop of stalled diplomatic efforts. Talks led by the US aimed at ending the war have struggled to gain traction in recent weeks, partly overshadowed by conflict in the Middle East.
Even before that, negotiations had been slow-moving. A central sticking point remains territory: Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along current front lines, while Russia insists Kyiv must relinquish all territory it holds in the Donetsk region – a demand Ukraine firmly rejects.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Easter truce was not discussed in advance with Ukraine or the US and was unrelated to any broader peace negotiations.
After four years of war – Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II – the front lines have largely stabilised. Russia has made incremental territorial gains, often at significant cost, while Ukraine has recently managed limited pushbacks in the south-east.
Analysts say Russian advances have slowed since late 2025. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is partly due to technological and logistical challenges, including restrictions on access to satellite systems and internal disruptions to communications.
Even so, the situation remains difficult for Ukraine in parts of the Donetsk region, particularly near the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Russia currently controls just over 19 percent of Ukrainian territory, much of it seized in the early stages of the invasion.
(With newswires)
