Key points
- Russia declares 30-hour unilateral ceasefire
- Zelensky claims attacks ongoing despite Easter truce
- Truce most significant pause in fighting throughout 3-year conflict
ISLAMABAD: Responding to Russia’s Easter ceasefire announcement on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv will act in a “mirror manner.”
“Ukraine will act in a mirror manner, as it will from the Russian side. Silence in response to silence, strikes in defence of strikes,” he said.
Earlier Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 30-hour unilateral ceasefire for the conflict in Ukraine on the occasion of Easter, one of the most important Christian holidays.
In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will reciprocate provided Russia upholds the truce, but will respond proportionately should Moscow initiate hostilities.
Ceasefire extension
Zelenskyy also proposed extending the ceasefire beyond April 20 contingent upon its successful implementation, according to Anadolu news agency
“If complete silence really reigns, Ukraine proposes to extend it after the Easter day on April 20 in the future. This will show Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours is enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures. Thirty days can give peace a chance,” he said.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said Russian forces were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line despite Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a surprise but brief Easter truce.
Significant pause
The 30-hour truce would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict.
But just hours after the order was meant to have come into effect, air-raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions, with Zelensky accusing Russia of having maintained its attacks, according to AFP.
“Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units,” Zelensky said on social media, citing a report as of 6:00 am (0300 GMT) from Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
He said that in the six hours up to midnight (2100 GMT) Saturday, there were “387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces,” with drones “used by Russians 290 times”.
“Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelensky’s post said.
