A temporary Orthodox Easter ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has officially come into effect, marking a short pause in hostilities after weeks of continued fighting.
The truce, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is set to last for 32 hours—from 4:00pm local time on Saturday until midnight on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would respect the ceasefire if Russia also adhered to it.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would “adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind,” adding that the absence of Russian attacks by air, land, and sea would be met with no response from Ukrainian forces.
Russia said it ordered the ceasefire to coincide with Orthodox Easter celebrations, more than a week after Ukraine initially proposed the idea. Both sides have now formally agreed to observe the temporary truce, although skepticism remains over how long it will hold.
Hours before the ceasefire began, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched around 160 drones across multiple regions, resulting in at least four deaths and several injuries. The southern Odesa region was among the hardest hit, with damage reported to civilian infrastructure.
At the same time, Russian-installed authorities in occupied parts of eastern Ukraine said Ukrainian drone strikes killed four people in Donetsk and Kherson regions.
Despite the temporary pause in fighting, distrust remains high between both sides. Similar ceasefire attempts during previous Orthodox Easter periods were repeatedly violated, with each side accusing the other of breaking the truce.
In a rare moment of coordination, both Russia and Ukraine confirmed an exchange of 175 prisoners of war each on Saturday, seen as one of the few diplomatic developments alongside the ceasefire agreement.
Analysts say the effectiveness of the truce will depend on enforcement on both sides, with early reports of drone activity raising doubts about how stable the pause in fighting will be.
