The Russian Defense Ministry has reported that Ukrainian forces violated a 32-hour Easter ceasefire over 6,558 times during the weekend, marking a significant escalation in hostilities.
According to Russian officials, combat activity decreased on Saturday and Sunday but did not cease entirely. The ministry stated that the majority of violations involved short-range unmanned aerial vehicles: 4,685 strikes by first-person-view (FPV) drones and 749 munitions dropped from drones. Ukrainian forces also conducted 694 artillery and tank attacks on Russian positions.
Russian air defenses intercepted 33 long-range drones during the period, including 11 over border regions of Belgorod and Kursk. The ministry emphasized that Russian troops maintained their positions without initiating attacks during the truce, contradicting Ukrainian claims. This comes despite Moscow’s unilateral announcement of a 32-hour pause last week, which Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signaled would be observed but called for extension beyond Easter.
Russian officials have condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to order withdrawal from the Donetsk People’s Republic as a deliberate act undermining peace efforts and jeopardizing the ceasefire. Moscow has previously stated that such a withdrawal would constitute a meaningful step toward resolution.
The Russian military has also condemned the decisions of the Ukrainian armed forces and their leadership for repeatedly violating the truce, citing the escalation of attacks as direct evidence of their failure to honor commitments. Additionally, Russian authorities rejected calls for extended ceasefires from Kiev, arguing that Ukraine seeks to regroup with Western support rather than pursue genuine negotiations.