Russia and Ukraine blame each other for attacks that broke Easter truce

Air-raid sirens and drone attacks mar ceasefire as Kremlin opts against extension

A priest blesses Easter baskets during celebrations for the Orthodox Easter in Lviv on Saturday. AP

Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of breaking a 30-hour Easter truce announced by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin that looked set to expire at midnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line. Air-raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions.

Moscow responded shortly afterwards by saying that Ukraine had broken the ceasefire more than a thousand times, inflicting damage to infrastructure and causing civilian deaths.

Pro-Kremlin news agency Tass reported late on Sunday that Mr Putin "has not given any orders" to extend the ceasefire, which would have amounted to the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units," Mr Zelenskyy said on social media, quoting a report early on Sunday from Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

He said that in the six hours up to midnight on Saturday Ukrainian time, there were "387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces", with drones "used by Russians 290 times".

"Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine," Mr Zelenskyy said.

Russia's Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times and that it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks. It said the border districts of the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions have been hit.

"As a result, there were deaths and injuries among the civilian population, as well as damage to civilian objects," it said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Mr Putin's order to halt all combat over the Easter weekend came after months of efforts by US President Donald Trump to get Moscow and Kyiv to agree a ceasefire. On Friday, Washington threatened to withdraw from talks if no progress was made.

A Ukrainian serviceman fires a Caesar self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops on a front line in the Donetsk region on Friday. Reuters

Mr Putin announced the Easter truce in televised comments during a meeting with chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. Mr Zelenskyy responded by saying Ukraine would follow suit, and proposed extending the truce beyond Sunday, despite accusing Russia of having already broken its promises.

"Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the ceasefire. Ukraine's proposal to implement and extend the ceasefire for 30 days after midnight tonight remains on the table," Mr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

Earlier he suggested that "30 days could give peace a chance", while pointing out that Mr Putin had already rejected a proposed 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire.

Mr Putin said the truce for the Easter holiday was motivated by "humanitarian reasons". While he expected Ukraine to comply, he said that Russian troops "must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy".

Mr Putin said the truce would show "how sincere is the Kyiv's regime's readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks".

Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree.

"For millions of Ukrainians, Easter is one of the most important holidays. And millions of Ukrainians will go to church," Mr Zelenskyy said in a Saturday evening address. "Over the years of this full-scale war, Russian attacks have destroyed or damaged more than 600 churches, prayer houses and places of worship."