Fire break on Easter Sunday? 26 Russian attacks by midday!

Fire break on Easter Sunday? 26 Russian attacks by midday!

On April 20, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the media reported a resurgence of fighting in the Ukraine conflict, even before the unilateral ceasefire declared by Vladimir Putin ended. Despite the humanitarian measure, which was supposed to apply from Saturday evening to midnight on Easter Sunday, Ukraine has already registered 26 attacks from Russia from midnight to noon, as vol.at reports. Zelensky expressed skepticism about Putin's control over the Russian armed forces and doubted whether Russia was seriously interested in ending the war.

The Russian president declared a ceasefire on Saturday, arguing that it was necessary for humanitarian reasons and would only apply if Ukraine also adhered to it. In this context, Putin also expected that the Ukrainian armed forces would follow Russia's example. But by Sunday morning, Zelensky reported several incidents in which Russia's ceasefire was broken - including 59 incidents of shelling and 5 attacks committed between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The Ukrainian side reported that it also came under fire, especially in the Donetsk region.

Unclear responsibility

Zelensky referred to Russia's intensive attacks, which reached as far as the border regions of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod. In total, Russia is said to have used 290 drones during this time. The Russian Ministry of Defense, on the other hand, blames Ukraine for the ceasefire violations and reports numerous own drone attacks that were repelled, such as srf.ch and [zdf.de](https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/putin-plan- Waffenstillstand-ukraine-krieg-russland-100.html) note.

Despite repeated aggression, Ukraine is demanding the implementation of a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Zelensky had already suggested this before the ceasefire without receiving a positive response from Russia. Putin had previously expressed hesitation by emphasizing that the causes of the conflict must be addressed first.

Putin's conditions for peace

Putin recently set conditions for an end to hostilities, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four territories annexed by Russia, and called on Ukraine to abandon its NATO membership plans. Critics, such as Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev, see these demands as unacceptable. Meanwhile, a peace conference is being prepared in Switzerland, seen as a symbolic attempt by Kiev to mobilize the international community for support, but without Russia's participation.

Tensions remain high as fighting continues in Ukraine despite hoped-for calm. Observers agree that the situation remains volatile and both diplomatic and military challenges remain, as the course of events shows.