STORY: :: Russia's Putin declares a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
:: Moscow, Russia
:: April 19, 2025
:: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
"Based on humanitarian considerations, today starting from 18:00 (1500 GMT) to 0:00 Monday the Russian side announces an Easter ceasefire. I order a stop to all military activities for this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. However, our troops should be ready to repel possible ceasefire violations and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions. We know that the Kyiv regime, as you have reported to me, violated agreements regarding ban on energy strikes more than a hundred times. This is why I ask you to be extremely attentive and vigilant, to be ready for an immediate response in full."
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had given instructions on the ceasefire to all group commanders in the area of the "special military operation," the Kremlin's term for the war.
Russian troops will adhere to the ceasefire provided it is "mutually respected" by Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.
Air raid sirens blared in Kyiv and Kharkiv late on Saturday evening after Putin's announcement.
In Kyiv, the air raid alert was issued at 1851GMT and cleared in 15 mins without any attacks reported by Kyiv authorities.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, the sound of sirens rang out at 2100 local (1800gmt), three hours after the ceasefire was scheduled to take effect.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise one-day ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter on Saturday, but Kyiv said attacks continued, Putin couldn't be trusted and Moscow should instead accept a 30-day truce Kyiv had agreed to last month.
Putin's unilateral move followed Washington's announcement that it could abandon peace talks within days unless Moscow and Kyiv showed they were serious about negotiating.
