Zelensky Vows ‘Mirror Response’ to Putin’s Truce, Urges Russia Not to Resume Strikes After Easter
Zelensky says Ukraine will mirror Russia’s Easter truce, but air raid alerts and drone attacks across Ukrainian regions fuel doubts about a genuine ceasefire.
Kyiv Post
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to take “mirror steps” in response to Russia’s announced Easter truce.
Writing on Telegram, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed a ceasefire for the Easter holidays and will now act accordingly.
“People need an Easter without threats and a real movement towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes after Easter,” the president said.
Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a halt to hostilities on all fronts from 4 p.m. on April 11 until the end of April 12 in connection with Orthodox Easter.
He has already issued the relevant orders to his defense minister and chief of the General Staff. Putin instructed Russian forces to “cease hostilities in all directions,” but also called for readiness to “stop possible provocations by the enemy, as well as any of his aggressive actions.”
“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,” the Kremlin added.
The Kremlin initially said it had not seen a “clearly formulated” proposal from the Ukrainian president. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that “the Kyiv regime desperately needs a ceasefire,” claiming that Russian forces are advancing along the entire front line.
Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) said Russia has failed to increase oil exports in March despite a temporary easing of US sanctions amid intensified Ukrainian strikes.
In 2025, Putin also unilaterally announced an Easter ceasefire that lasted about a day and a half. Both sides accused each other of violations, though the intensity of fighting temporarily decreased.
Minutes after Putin announced the latest ceasefire, air raid alerts and drone sightings were reported over Kyiv.
At best, he said, it could be seen as a temporary pause. In his view, Moscow is trying to present itself on the same level as Washington.
“There is a ceasefire between Iran and the US, and Putin wants to be seen as doing the same,” Nuriyev said.
“It is an effort to equate Russia with the US. It is nothing but a PR stunt,” he added.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, from the evening of April 9 to the morning of April 10, Russia launched 128 drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and other types. About 85 of them were Shahed drones.
As of 8:00 a.m., Ukrainian air defenses had shot down or suppressed 113 drones in the north, south, and east of the country.
Fourteen drones hit targets at six locations, while debris from downed drones fell in seven areas.
In Ukraine, Orthodox Easter remains an important tradition, marked by church bells, the blessing of pysanky eggs and paska bread, and the greeting “Khrystos Voskres” (“Christ is Risen”). Even in the fifth year of full-scale war, these rituals offer a sense of continuity.
For soldiers in the trenches, however, any “holiday silence” is short-lived. Troops remain on high alert, aware that past ceasefires have often been broken before Easter celebrations even begin.
Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.
