"Easter truce": Russia ramps up artillery use, no clear answer on 30-day ceasefire, Zelenskyy says

Situation update as of 4:00 p.m.

“Unfortunately, the trend of increasing the use of heavy weaponry by Russian forces continues. From the beginning of the day until 4:00 p.m., there have been a total of 46 Russian assaults across various directions and 901 instances of shelling, 448 of which involved heavy weaponry. More than 400 cases of FPV drone use by Russians have already been documented,” the President noted, quoting the report of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

According to him, Russia is most active in the Pokrovsk sector. In the Toretsk sector, unfortunately, Ukrainian soldiers fell into a Russian ambush, resulting in casualties. Putin’s so-called "truce" did not affect the Kursk region, Siversk, or other areas of the Donetsk region.

“The Ukrainian army is acting – and will continue to act – in a fully symmetrical manner. This Easter has clearly demonstrated that the only source of this war, and the reason it drags on, is Russia. We are ready to move toward peace and a full, unconditional, and honest ceasefire that could last for at least 30 days – but there has been no response from Russia on that so far. The situation on the frontline shows that pressure on Moscow and real oversight of the actions of the occupying forces are needed for the ceasefire to be established,” he emphasized.

Situation update as of 12:00 p.m.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported the situation to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Although Ukraine had declared a mirror response to Russia’s ceasefire announcement, starting from 10:00 a.m., there was a noticeable increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones. According to Syrskyi, the use of FPV drones by Russian forces alone had doubled.

This morning, the Russian army was most active in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions, with heavy weapons being deployed in these and other areas along the frontline.

Read also: “Easter truce” is Putin's maneuver: journalist Portnikov discusses Russia's objectives — Exclusive to Espreso

Between midnight and noon today, 26 Russian assault attempts were recorded.

“We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners. In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favorable PR coverage. It’s a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid sirens,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

Situation update as of 06:00 a.m.

As of 6:00 a.m., there had already been 59 instances of Russian shelling and 5 assault attempts by Russian units across various sectors of the front.

One combat clash was reported in the Starobilsk operational-tactical troop grouping’s zone, three more in the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka directions under the Donetsk operational-tactical troop grouping, and another near Stepove in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

Dozens of Russian FPV drone strikes were also recorded, while Russian artillery and drone activity was observed in the Kursk region.

"Our soldiers are responding everywhere as the situation demands. Ukraine will continue to respond in kind," Zelenskyy said.

Between 6:00 p.m. on April 19 and midnight, the Russian army launched 387 shelling attacks and carried out 19 assault operations. Drones were used 290 times.

"In general, on Easter morning, it's clear that Russia is trying to present a picture of ceasefire, but in some areas it’s still pushing forward and causing damage. Russia must fully comply with the ceasefire terms. Ukraine’s proposal to extend the silence for 30 days after midnight today is still on the table. We will act based on what’s really happening on the ground," the president said.

When Putin’s “truce” started – and what happened next

Putin unilaterally announced an “Easter truce” beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2025.

Leading up to 6:00 p.m., air raid alerts continued in Kyiv, and Russian drones were shot down over the capital’s Left Bank.

At 5:30 p.m., Russia launched a missile strike on Izyum in the Kharkiv region. Even after the announced start of the truce, Russian FPV drones continued hitting targets in the Kherson region.

After 9:00 p.m. on April 19, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief briefed President Zelenskyy with updated information from all frontline sectors regarding the implementation of Putin’s so-called “Easter truce.” At that time, it was reported that while some areas had quieted down, others remained active with ongoing hostilities.