Easter Truce Ends, Both Sides Blame Each Other for Violations

The brief pause in fighting that was meant to honor Orthodox Easter has now ended, leaving both Russia and Ukraine pointing fingers at the other for breaking the agreement. The truce lasted just over a day, from 4 pm Saturday to midnight Sunday, and was announced by Russia’s president earlier in the week while Ukraine had called for it over a month before. Despite the pause, the front line of roughly 1, 200 km stayed largely calm compared to normal days. Ukrainian military reports say that by 7 am on Sunday they had counted 2, 299 breaches of the ceasefire. These included attacks, shelling and small drones; no long‑range weapons were mentioned. A Ukrainian officer told reporters that Russian troops had kept firing at their positions even during the truce. Russia’s defence ministry counters that Ukrainian forces committed 1, 971 violations, also citing drone strikes. The head of the Belgorod region said that two civilians were found dead after a Ukrainian attack in mid‑Saturday.

While the fighting rages, political developments are also unfolding. Ukraine’s president congratulated Hungary’s new prime minister on his electoral win, offering cooperation for mutual benefit. The EU watches closely to see how Hungary’s new leadership will shift its stance toward Ukraine, especially after the former leader’s close ties to Russia. The Kremlin’s spokesperson stated that Russian troops still need to capture 17‑18 % of the disputed Donetsk area and will keep fighting after the Easter pause. These reports illustrate how fragile peace agreements can be and how both sides use the same events to support their narratives. They also show that even a short lull in hostilities does not erase the underlying conflict or its wider political implications.

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