Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a temporary ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, extending over a two-day period, and has expressed expectations for Ukraine to reciprocate, as per the Kremlin’s statement. The ceasefire is set to commence from 1600 on April 11th until the end of April 12th in light of the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday. The announcement anticipates that Ukraine will mirror Russia’s actions during this ceasefire.
The Kremlin revealed that Defense Minister Andri Belousov has directed Russia’s top military chief, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, to halt military operations across all fronts during this timeframe. Troops have been instructed to remain vigilant against potential enemy provocations and aggressive acts during this period.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Ukraine to this declaration. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed an Easter ceasefire over a week ago, citing air assaults on Ukrainian cities and alleging Moscow’s use of drones in response.
According to the Orthodox calendar, which is predominant in both Russia and Ukraine, Easter is scheduled for April 12th this year.