By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/KYIV (Worthy News) – Easter Sunday remained far from peaceful in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia intensified shelling and the use of drones. The reported attacks came despite Moscow’s announcement of an Easter ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched 26 assaults from midnight up until midday local time.
Citing a battlefield update from General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s military chief, Zelenskyy noted an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones.
He said the most active Russian operations were on Easter Sunday morning “in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions.”
Zelenskyy warned that in these and several other areas of the frontline, Russia continues to use heavy weapons
Yet that seemed at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of an Easter ceasefire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that “Based on humanitarian considerations today, starting from 18:00 hours to Monday, the Russian site announced an Easter ceasefire.”
STOPPING MILITARY ACTIVITIES
He added, “I order a stop to all military activities for this period”, but warned his troops would be prepared to react to “provocations.”
Yet, in response, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Kyiv has been documenting what he called “every Russian violation” of its self-declared Easter ceasefire and was prepared to share this intelligence with partners.
Zelenskyy said the ongoing attacks show that Russian President Putin may have no complete control over his army or Russia has no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war.
The attacks came as numerous Christians in Ukraine visited churches to remember Jesus Christ’s victory over death on Easter Sunday.
Pope Francis recalled the Risen Christ’s gift of peace and expressed hope that all parties involved in the devastating three-year war would seek a lasting peace in Ukraine.
The war broke out with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has since turned into Europe’s bloodiest conflict since the Second World War.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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Easter Sunday remained far from peaceful in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia intensified shelling and the use of drones. The reported attacks came despite Moscow’s announcement of an Easter ceasefire.
As Easter approached, there was some hope for hundreds of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war and scores of injured soldiers, with officials saying they were being exchanged on Saturday. It also came after U.S. Vice President JD Vance cautiously expressed optimism about an end to the more than three-year war following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.