21.04.2025 – 25.04.2025 (A Tate Papers A Pine 1)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20 that Russian forces were continuing to use heavy weapons despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire for the Easter holiday.

Putin’s announcement of a 30-hour ceasefire was a significant truce in the three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.

But just hours after Putin’s ceasefire came into effect, air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other regions, and Zelensky accused Russia of continuing its attacks.

“There were 59 artillery shelling and five attacks by Russian forces across the battlefield,” Zelensky said on social media, citing a report from Ukrainian Chief of Staff Oleksandr Soros at 6 a.m. local time.

In the six hours since midnight on April 19, there had been 387 artillery shelling and 19 attacks by Russian forces, as well as 290 use of Russian drones.

Overall, Zelensky said that Russian forces were trying to break the ceasefire on Easter morning, while continuing attacks in some areas and trying to seize Ukrainian territory.

Putin ordered a ceasefire over the Easter weekend, after months of efforts by US President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

On April 18, the White House threatened to pull the US out of talks if there was no progress on a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.

“Russia has announced a ceasefire for the Easter weekend, starting at 6pm (local time on April 19) until midnight on April 20,” Putin said during a meeting with Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has proposed extending the ceasefire beyond April 20, saying Ukraine will abide by Putin’s ceasefire and that Russia is violating its commitments.