Will the Easter ceasefire continue as Russia-Ukraine truce nears expiry?

A 32-hour Easter truce declared by the Kremlin between Russia and Ukraine has come under strain, with both sides reporting widespread violations, even as a prisoner exchange of 175 PoWs each marked one of the few concrete outcomes of the brief pause in fighting.

The ceasefire was officially announced by President Vladimir Putin as a 32-hour “humanitarian gesture” for Orthodox Easter . It began at 4 pm local time (6:30 pm IST) on Saturday , covering the nearly 1,300-km front in eastern Ukraine , and was scheduled to run until midnight Sunday (2:30 am IST, Monday) .

Before the truce took effect, Russia and Ukraine completed a 175-for-175 PoW exchange , while Ukraine also released seven Russian civilians previously held from the Kursk region, according to Russian officials.

The Kremlin described the move as a temporary humanitarian pause for Orthodox Easter, with Russian forces instructed to halt operations but remain on high alert for possible provocations , while officials indicated the conflict would resume after the truce period ends. Ukraine said it was prepared to observe the ceasefire and respond “strictly in kind” if it was respected, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the pause could have been a step toward broader peace if upheld, though Kyiv’s military reported continued Russian attacks during the period.

Soon after the ceasefire came into force, both sides accused each other of serious breaches. Russian authorities claimed there were thousands of Ukrainian strikes , including drone and artillery attacks across multiple sectors. Ukraine, in turn, reported continued Russian shelling and aerial assaults, saying the truce was repeatedly violated across frontline regions.

Despite the allegations, Russian state media said the truce appeared to hold briefly in its early hours, though both militaries remained on maximum alert , limiting expectations of sustained calm.

By the final hours of the 32-hour window, intermittent fighting was reported across multiple sectors, raising doubts over the effectiveness of the ceasefire as a genuine humanitarian pause.

Both Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians observe Easter according to the Julian Calendar , with celebrations falling on April 12 this year. Russian media also highlighted the tradition of bringing the Holy Flame from Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre to Moscow for Easter services.