Russia Announces Easter Ceasefire, Ukraine Agrees to Mirror Actions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a temporary ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine, citing the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday. The Kremlin announced that hostilities would be suspended from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12.

The decision was framed as a gesture in connection with the celebration of Easter, also known as the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to halt all combat operations across all fronts for this period.

In its statement, Moscow expressed hope that Ukraine would follow suit and reciprocate the ceasefire. However, it also directed Russian forces to remain prepared to counter any potential provocations from Ukrainian troops during this time.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his country's readiness for a corresponding truce. In a post on social media platform X, he stated that Ukraine had repeatedly declared its willingness for such mirror actions and had itself proposed an Easter ceasefire earlier this year.

"People need an Easter without threats and real movement toward peace," Zelenskyy wrote. He added that Russia has an opportunity not to resume strikes even after the holiday period concludes.