Russia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), in a statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on social media platform X, accused Ukrainian forces of launching a series of attacks during the Easter ceasefire, including 48 fixed-wing UAVs and 900 quadcopter-type drone strikes.
According to the post, Ukrainian troops also carried out 444 mortar and gun attacks on Russian positions during the night of the truce, which started at 6 PM on April 19, as ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Details of Alleged Attacks
The statement alleged that Ukraine’s military:
- Launched 48 fixed-wing drones, including one over Crimea
- Carried out 900 quadcopter drone strikes
- Hit Russian positions 444 times with guns and mortars
- Dropped ammunition on border regions—Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod
- Conducted 12 fire attacks, 33 UAV strikes, and 7 aerial ammunition drops
- Caused civilian casualties and damage to facilities
Russia claimed that the Easter ceasefire was being strictly observed by its forces across the special military operation zone, and that it repelled attacks near Sukhaya Balka and Bogatyr in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Ukraine Hits Back: Russia Attacked First
In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of intensifying attacks on Easter Day, alleging that kamikaze drones and shelling had increased.
Zelenskyy said the most active Russian assaults occurred in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions, with 26 separate offensives reported between midnight and noon.
Background: A Fragile Truce
This was only the second ceasefire attempt since the conflict began in 2022. The first truce—during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023—failed when both sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
The Easter ceasefire, meant to last 30 hours, has now become another instance of blame and counter-blame in the ongoing war, raising doubts over any future attempts at temporary peace.
