Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of attempting to fabricate the appearance of a ceasefire, despite ongoing military aggression across the frontlines.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Zelenskyy referenced a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi detailing continued hostilities from Russian forces as of 6:00 a.m. local time.
“Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units,” Zelenskyy stated.
His remarks came just one day after Russian President, Vladimir Putin announced a temporary “Easter truce,” claiming all military operations would be paused from 6:00 p.m. Saturday (4:00 p.m. UK time) through Monday.
However, according to Zelenskyy, between 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Russian forces carried out 387 instances of shelling and launched 19 assaults. He further disclosed that Russian drones were deployed 290 times during that period.
“In the Kursk region, Russian forces conducted artillery strikes and used drones,” he added.
Zelenskyy criticized what he described as Moscow’s effort to give the false impression of honoring a ceasefire, even as its military continues operations in certain areas.
“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. Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the ceasefire,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also reiterated Kyiv’s readiness to honor and extend a genuine truce, announcing that Ukraine’s proposal to implement and prolong the ceasefire for 30 days beyond midnight tonight remains open.
“We will act in accordance with the actual situation on the ground,” Zelenskyy concluded.