4,270 violations of the Easter truce: Russia and Ukraine trade accusations
On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations of thousands of violations within just a few hours of a temporary truce announced for Orthodox Easter.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Ukrainian forces committed 1,971 ceasefire violations during the period from the evening of April 11 to the morning of the following day.
In its statement, the ministry said that all groups of forces involved in the “special military operation” zone had observed the ceasefire starting at 4:00 p.m. on April 11 and remained in the positions they controlled.
However, the ministry reported that Ukrainian units launched three nighttime attacks on Russian positions from the Pokrovskoye area toward the settlements of Gai (twice) and Otradnoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region, noting that all of these attacks were repelled.
It also referred to the failure of four additional attempts by Ukrainian forces to advance toward Russian positions in the areas of Kondratovka and Nova Sich in the Sumy region, as well as in the village of Kaliniki in Donetsk.
According to the statement, 1,971 ceasefire violations were recorded on the Ukrainian side between the evening of April 11 and the morning of April 12.
The ministry added that Ukrainian forces carried out 258 shelling operations using multiple rocket launchers, artillery, tanks, and mortars, in addition to 1,329 drone attacks and 375 strikes using various types of munitions.
It also stated that Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod, causing injuries among civilians, including a child.
For its part, the Ukrainian army reported recording 2,299 violations committed by Russian forces since the truce came into effect, explaining that these violations included 28 attacks, 479 artillery shellings, and hundreds of drone strikes.
This brings the total number of violations announced by both sides to 4,270 in less than 24 hours.
A short truce amid a complex battlefield reality
Vladimir Putin had announced a two-day ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, calling on Ukraine to do the same.
The Kremlin clarified that the truce would begin at 4:00 p.m. on April 11 and last until the end of April 12, as a humanitarian gesture linked to the religious occasion.
However, developments on the ground showed the continuation of military operations amid mutual accusations of non-compliance.
Parallel movements on the political track
At the same time as the military tensions, reports indicated that Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special envoy, visited the United States, where he held meetings with officials from Donald Trump’s administration.
These meetings focused on exploring opportunities to reach a peace agreement, as well as issues of economic cooperation, while Washington is considering extending the easing of sanctions imposed on Russian oil.
Exchange of war dead continues
On a separate note, the two sides continued exchanging the remains of fallen soldiers. Kyiv announced receiving 1,000 bodies that Moscow said belonged to Ukrainian soldiers, while Russian sources reported that Ukraine handed over 41 bodies.
These exchanges remain among the few ongoing channels of communication between the two sides despite escalating fighting on the ground.
