Russia

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has announced a temporary “Easter truce” in the three -year conflict in Ukraine that will last until midnight on Sunday.

“On humanitarian land, today from 6 pm at midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces a Easter truce,” Putin said in a televised statement published by the Kremlin. The statement has been translated. “For this period, I order all fighting. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be prepared to reflect possible rapes of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive action.”

Putin first announced the fire at a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the General Staff Velar Gerasimov, said Kremlin’s press service.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a translated statement that the high fire is imposed “for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the group of Russian troops (forces) whenever it is respected by the kyiv regime.”

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, criticized the announcement as “Putin’s next attempt to play with the lives of people”, saying that “an air alert is now spreading through the territory of Ukraine” due to the attacks of Russian drones recorded in the sky at 5:15 local time.

“Air defense and Ukrainian aviation have already begun working to protect. ‘Shaheeds’ in our sky are Putin’s true attitude towards Easter and people’s lives,” said Zelenskyy.

“Shaheeds” can be a reference to Shahed drones, which Russia has used widely during the war.

The Ukrainian leader did not confirm if he observed the proposed truce.

Ucriy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said Ukraine was waiting for “actions, no words” from Putin.

“Putin has now made statements about his alleged preparation for a high fire,” Sybiga wrote on social networks, adding: “We know that you cannot trust his words and we will see actions, no words.”

The previous attempts to celebrate the cessation of high for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both parties could not agree on them. Ukraine last month agreed to the proposal of President Trump for a high full and unconditional fire of 30 days, just for Putin to reject it.

Russia and Ukraine perform prisoner exchange

Also on Saturday, Russia and Ukraine made an exchange of prisoners that was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian state news agency Tass reported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that 246 members of the Russian service were returned from the territory controlled by kyiv, and that as a “gesture of goodwill”, 31 prisoners of war Ukrainians wounded were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers who need urgent medical attention.

Zelenskyy said that 277 “Ukrainian warriors have returned home of Russian captivity.” He thanked the Arab Emirates attached by mediating the exchange.

It was the biggest exchange since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago.

The announcement follows the frustration of the Trump administration

The announcement came the next day The Secretary of State for the United States, Marco Rubio, said The administration of President Trump was ready to “move forward” of the peace conversations between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made in the next few days. Rubio made the comments in Paris, after Historical conversations Among Ukrainian and European officials.

“Now we are reaching a point where we must decide whether this is possible or not,” Rubio told journalists while we leave Paris. “Because if not, then I think we will move on.”

“It’s not our war,” Rubio added. “We have other priorities to focus.” He said that the US administration wants to decide “in a matter of days.” Another meeting is expected next week in London.

Later on Friday, Trump echoed Rubio’s frustrations with the pace of conversations. When asked about Rubio’s comments on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “quite complex” negotiations were ongoing between the United States and Russia, although he said no direct conversations were scheduled between Mr. Trump and Putin for the next few days.

Fighting before the high fire

The earliest Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said its forces pushed the Ukrainian forces of one of its last remaining support points in the Kursk region of Russia. The Russian forces took control of the village of Olheshnyya, on the border with Ukraine, the ministry said. Gerasimov said that Russian troops had resumed 99% of the territory seized by Ukraine.

“In the areas of the Kursk region where the Armed Forces of Ukraine set up an incursion, the main part of the territory … is now released. That is, 1,260 square kilometers, 99.5 percent,” Gerasimov told Putin.

News could not immediately verify the claim. In the same statement in which he reacted to Alto El Fuego, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian forces “continued their activity” and are “maintaining their positions” in the Kursk region. He also said that the military forces “advanced and increased our control zone” in Belgorod, a Russian city about 24 miles from the Russian-Ukraine border.

According to Tass, Russia is still fighting to expel the Ukrainian forces of the town of Gornal, about 7 miles south of Olhnya.

“The Russian army has not yet expelled the Ukrainian armed forces of Gorn … to completely release the Kursk region. A fierce struggle in the agreement are being carried out,” the agency said, citing Russian security agencies.

In other developments, the Ukraine Air Force reported that Russia triggered 87 drones and explosive lures in the last wave of attacks during the night until Saturday. He said that 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, probably having been electronically stuck.

Russian attacks damaged the farms in the Odessa region and caused fires in the Sumy region during the night, the Ukraine state emergency service said on Saturday. Fires were contained and victims were not reported.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems knocked down two Ukrainian drones during the night until Saturday.

In:
• Ukraine
• Russia