Russia, Ukraine trade accusations of Orthodox Easter ceasefire violations


Believers carry Easter baskets as they pass destroyed Russian military equipment displayed on Mykhailivska Square after they attended a service ahead of Orthodox Easter, during a 32‑hour ceasefire declared by Russia, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

KYIV/MOSCOW, April 12 (Reuters) - ⁠Russia and Ukraine accused each other L1N40U064 on ⁠Sunday of breaching the 32-hour ceasefire L1N40S124 ‌in their four-year war, reporting more than a thousand drone and shelling attacks just hours after the truce began on Saturday ​to mark Orthodox Easter.

The Russian defence ⁠ministry said it recorded ⁠1,971 ceasefire violations overnight into Sunday, while Ukraine's general ⁠staff ‌reported 479 shelling attacks and more than 1,700 drone strikes by Russian troops.

According to ⁠the calendar of the Orthodox faith dominant ​in both countries, ‌Easter is celebrated this year on Sunday.

Russia said ⁠a child ​was among civilians injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Kursk region, while the Belgorod region's governor ⁠Vyacheslav Gladkov reported two people ​killed by Ukrainian shelling.

Ukraine's State Emergencies Service said two civilians were wounded on Sunday by a Russian drone attack ⁠in Kharkiv region.

Reuters could not independently verify reports of military activity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced nL1N40S124 the temporary Orthodox Easter ceasefire on April 9, and ​it is set to end at ⁠midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose previous ceasefire ​proposals were turned down by ‌Moscow, agreed to the truce.

(Reporting ​by Max Hunder in Kyiv and other Reuters staff;Editing by David Goodman and Bernadette Baum)

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