Putin Declares Temporary Ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter

The Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, has announced a brief cessation of hostilities in Ukraine to coincide with the Easter period, as revealed by the Kremlin on Saturday.

This pause in military activities is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Moscow time (3 p.m. GMT) on Saturday and continue until midnight (9 p.m. GMT) after Easter Sunday.

During a meeting with General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, Putin stated, "Acting on humanitarian grounds, we are declaring an Easter truce from 18:00 today until 00:00 the following Monday. Military actions should cease during this period."

Putin expressed expectations that Ukrainian forces will reciprocate the move. However, he instructed Russian troops to be vigilant against potential breaches of the truce, provocations, or any adversarial maneuvers.

The declaration happened on the backdrop of recent military developments, where Russia's Defense Ministry claimed a strategic advance against Ukrainian forces in the western part of Russia's Kursk region, seizing control of a border village.

While the Associated Press could not independently confirm these reports, Ukrainian response to this claim was also not immediately available.

Despite the truce, skirmishes continue as Russian efforts to clear Ukrainian forces from strategic locations are reported, according to Russia’s security agency.