Russia declares 30-hour ceasefire in Ukraine

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a 30-hour ceasefire in Ukraine — marking the Christian holiday of Easter.

Putin made the temporary ceasefire announcement during a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Velary Gerasimov, the BBC reported.

The Russian leader said the 30-hour ceasefire was declared in honour of Easter celebrations. The ceasefire began last evening and will continue until tonight (Sunday).

However, he noted Russian forces would remain prepared to respond to any potential violations.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised Kyiv would adhere to the truce, but accused Moscow of breaking it.

“Our actions are and will be symmetrical. The proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day silence remains on the table — the answer to it must come from Moscow,” he wrote on X.

Zelensky said Ukraine would be ready to extend a truce beyond 20 April, seemingly referring to an earlier proposal from the US for a 30-day ceasefire which Ukraine had already agreed to.

It is not the first time a pause in fighting has been suddenly announced – a previous attempt at a ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 fell apart after both sides failed to agree on a proposal.

The war between Russia and Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people, most of them soldiers, have been killed or injured during the conflict.

kk/mud