Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to a temporary ceasefire to mark Orthodox Easter. The Kremlin said the truce will run from 4:00 p.m. on April 11 until midnight on April 12.
The announcement comes after a similar 30-hour ceasefire declared by Moscow last year, which both sides later accused each other of violating.
Zelensky welcomed the latest move, saying Ukraine had previously proposed an Easter truce and remains open to reciprocal steps. However, the pause in fighting comes amid heightened tensions, including recent Russian threats of military action against Baltic states accused of enabling Ukraine’s drone operations via their airspace.
The ceasefire also follows reports of heavy battlefield losses, with estimates suggesting Russia lost around 1,100 troops in a single day of fighting leading up to the announcement.
Diplomatically, parallel talks are ongoing in the United States, where Russia’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is meeting with members of the Trump administration. Discussions are said to focus on two key issues: a potential peace framework for Ukraine and possible future economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow.
Despite the announcement, some international observers remain skeptical. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance recently criticized both sides, accusing Kyiv and Moscow of “haggling over a few square kilometers” while the humanitarian and military toll continues to rise.
While the 32-hour window offers a brief pause for civilians observing the holiday, military analysts caution that it remains uncertain whether the ceasefire will be fully respected on the front lines.