Russia and Ukraine accuse one another of breaching Easter truce |

KYIV: Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused one another of violating an Easter truce introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Russian forces had been persevering with their shelling and assaults alongside the entrance line regardless of Putin saying the shock truce.
The 30-hour truce beginning Saturday night to mark the spiritual vacation can be probably the most important pause within the combating all through the three-year battle.
However Zelensky accused Russia of getting maintained its assaults on the entrance line after the truce began.
Russia’s defence ministry in flip stated it had “repelled” tried assaults by Ukraine and accused Kyiv of launching drones and shells, inflicting civilian casualties.
Zelensky stated Sunday, citing Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky, that “a rise in Russian shelling and using kamikaze drones has been noticed since 10:00 am (0700 GMT)”.
Earlier he stated that the primary six hours of the ceasefire noticed “387 cases of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces,” with drones “utilized by Russians 290 occasions”.
Ukraine’s air pressure on Sunday morning had not reported any drone or missile assaults, nevertheless.
AFP journalists heard explosions on Sunday morning round a dozen kilometres (seven miles) from the entrance line in east Ukraine.
Ukraine will reply “symmetrically” to any assaults, Zelensky stated, accusing Russia of “trying to create the overall impression of a ceasefire” whereas persevering with remoted assaults.
Russia’s defence ministry stated that “regardless of the announcement of the Easter truce, Ukrainian items at night time made makes an attempt to assault” its positions within the Donetsk area, “which had been repelled”.
In a single day, it stated, Ukraine “444 occasions shelled… the positions of our troops and carried out 900 strikes with drones”.
These assaults left civilians “useless and wounded”, the ministry stated, with out giving particulars.
It insisted its troops had “strictly noticed the ceasefire and stayed on the entrance strains and positions they beforehand occupied”.
Putin’s order to halt all fight over the Easter weekend got here after months of efforts by US President Donald Trump to get Moscow and Kyiv to comply with a ceasefire.
On Friday, Washington even threatened to withdraw from talks if no progress was made.
‘Give peace an opportunity’
Putin introduced the truce from 1800 (1500 GMT) Saturday to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday) in televised feedback, saying it was motivated by “humanitarian causes”.
Whereas he anticipated Ukraine to conform, Putin stated that Russian troops “should be prepared to withstand doable breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy”.
Zelensky stated Ukraine would comply with swimsuit, and proposed extending the truce past Sunday.
“Russia should absolutely adjust to the circumstances of the ceasefire. Ukraine’s proposal to implement and prolong the ceasefire for 30 days after midnight tonight stays on the desk,” Zelensky’s submit stated Sunday.
Earlier he instructed that “30 days may give peace an opportunity” — whereas stating that Putin had already rejected a proposed 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire.
‘Cannot belief Russia’
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier makes an attempt at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 weren’t carried out after each side didn’t agree on them.
In Kyiv on Sunday, as Easter bells rang out, folks expressed doubts over whether or not Russia would observe a truce whereas welcoming Zelensky’s proposal to increase it.
“They’ve already damaged their promise. Sadly, we can’t belief Russia in the present day,” stated 38-year-old Olga Grachova, who works in advertising.
“Our president has clearly stated that in the event that they announce a 30-hour ceasefire, we are going to announce a 30-day ceasefire. So allow them to go for it… in order that this horrible warfare ends, in order that our folks, our troopers, and youngsters cease dying,” stated Sergiy Klochko, 30, a railway employee.
However Natalia, a 41-year-old medic, stated of Zelensky’s 30-day proposal: “All the things we provide, sadly, stays solely our provides. No person responds to them.”
On the streets of Moscow, Yevgeny Pavlov, 58, didn’t suppose Russia ought to give Ukraine a breather.
“There is no such thing as a want to offer them respite. If we press, it means we must always press to the tip,” he informed AFP.