Zelenskyy Says Russia Is Trying To Create An 'Impression Of A Ceasefire' As Attacks Continue | rssama.com

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia connected Sunday of creating a mendacious quality of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to motorboat attacks aft Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral impermanent truce.

“As of Easter morning, we tin opportunity that nan Russian service is trying to create a wide belief of a ceasefire, but successful immoderate places, it does not wantonness individual attempts to beforehand and inflict losses connected Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said successful a station connected X.

Despite Putin’s declaration of an Easter ceasefire, Zelenskyy said Sunday greeting that Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and 5 assaults by units on nan beforehand line, arsenic good arsenic dozens of drone strikes.

In later updates, Zelenskyy said that contempt Ukraine declaring a symmetrical attack to Russian actions, “the inclination of expanding nan usage of dense weaponry by Russian forces continues.” He said, however, that it was “a bully thing, astatine least, that location were nary aerial ambush sirens.”

He noted that immoderate Ukrainian troops were killed successful a Russian “ambush” connected Sunday successful nan Donetsk region, and said nan Russian soldiers responsible would beryllium “eliminated.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin be nan Orthodox Easter work astatine Christ nan Saviour Cathedral successful Moscow, Russia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Ramil Sitdikov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Ramil Sitdikov via AP

Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of overnight attacks successful nan Donetsk region contempt nan ceasefire. It said Ukraine had sent 48 drones into Russian territory. According to nan ministry, location were “dead and wounded among nan civilian population,” without giving details. It claimed Russian troops had strictly observed nan truce.

Russia-installed officials successful nan partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson besides said Ukrainian forces had launched attacks.

Zelenskyy said that Russia must afloat adhere to nan ceasefire conditions and reiterated Ukraine’s connection to widen nan truce for 30 days erstwhile it ends midnight Sunday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Moscow had not responded to Kyiv’s proposal.

“In practice, either Putin does not person afloat power complete his army, aliases nan business proves that successful Russia, they person nary volition of making a genuine move toward ending nan war, and are only willing successful favorable PR coverage,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Just hours aft announcing nan ceasefire, Putin attended an Easter work precocious Saturday astatine Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ nan Saviour led by Patriarch Kirill, caput of nan Russian Orthodox Church and a vocal protagonist of Putin and nan warfare successful Ukraine.

Putin offered nary specifications connected really nan ceasefire would beryllium monitored aliases whether it would screen airstrikes aliases ongoing crushed battles that rage astir nan clock.

His announcement came aft U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiations betwixt Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither broadside is “playing” him successful his push to extremity nan grinding three-year war.

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Morton reported from London.

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RussiaUkraineVladimir PutinVolodymyr ZelenskyyEaster