“Truce” in name only: Russia moves troops freely, plans new assaults — military observer

Political and military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko wrote about this on Telegram.

He notes that overall, the intensity of fighting along the Russian-Ukrainian frontline has dropped, by about four times compared to previous days, but this is not a ceasefire. It’s not a "truce," just a temporary dip in combat activity.

At the same time, across nearly the entire frontline, Russian forces are moving troops and equipment freely, with little risk. They are building up reserves and clearly getting ready to launch a more intense offensive.

"In essence, Russia unilaterally declared this so-called 'Easter truce' and is now freely preparing for a renewed escalation. Later, they’ll claim that Ukraine broke the 'truce' to justify it," Kovalenko writes.

"In reality, Putin once again outplayed Donald Trump, especially after Mark Rubio hinted that the U.S. might pull out of talks if there’s no progress. There wasn’t going to be any progress anyway, but Putin wants to look like he’s interested in peace — just to keep dragging out a pointless process that lets him continue the war without much pushback," Kovalenko adds.

He concludes: "Apparently, Putin pulled it off, and Trump will stay comfortably within the Kremlin’s orbit of loyalty."

Russia self-declares "Easter truce"

Vladimir 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.

As of Easter morning, April 20, Russian forces appear to be trying to create the impression of a ceasefire at the front, but are still carrying out isolated attacks and attempting to push forward in some areas.