Easter truce shattered: Zelensky accuses Russia of escalations

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his concern on Sunday over the increase in the number of Russian attacks, despite the Easter truce declared by Vladimir Putin. Zelensky emphasized that since 10 AM local time, there has been increased activity from the Russian armed forces.

Zelensky reported that despite Ukraine's declaration to respond symmetrically to Russian attacks, there was an increase in the number of shellings and the use of kamikaze drones by the Russians on Sunday morning. "In FPV alone, there is a twofold increase from the Russian army," noted the President of Ukraine.

According to Zelensky, the Russian army is conducting the most intensive operations in eastern Ukraine, specifically in the Pokrovsk and Sivir directions. "From 00:00 to 12:00 this day, 26 Russian assault operations have already taken place," he added.

The President of Ukraine criticized Vladimir Putin, suggesting that he either does not fully control his army, or Russia is not aiming for an actual end to the war. "They have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favourable PR coverage," Zelensky assessed.

Zelensky called for pressure to be put on the Kremlin to agree to a complete ceasefire and maintain it for at least 30 days after Easter. We need to "give diplomacy a real chance," he emphasized.

Vladimir Putin announced the Easter truce on Saturday, which was supposed to last 30 hours, from 6 PM Moscow time to midnight on Monday. However, as reported by Andriy Kovalenko from the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, Russian forces continued attacks on Ukrainian positions shortly after the truce started.