Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a short Easter ceasefire in the ongoing war with Ukraine, a move met with deep skepticism in Kyiv amid stalled US-led peace talks and continued

fighting on the front lines.

Putin stated that “all hostilities” would pause from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday (11 a.m. ET) until midnight on Monday (5 p.m. Sunday ET), saying the truce was intended to test Ukraine’s willingness to pursue peace. “We assume the Ukrainian side will follow our example,” he said.

Ukraine did not outright reject the ceasefire but made it clear they don’t trust Moscow. Ukrainian officials pointed to Russia’s refusal to sign onto a proposed 30-day ceasefire backed by the US and already accepted by Kyiv.

“Putin has a long history of saying one thing and doing another,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X. “Russia can agree at any time to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire—it’s been on the table since March.”

The timing of Putin’s announcement also raised eyebrows—it came just a day after the Trump administration signaled growing frustration with both sides and hours after Russia claimed to have pushed Ukrainian forces out of a key area in the Kursk region, where Ukraine had staged an incursion last year.

Despite the truce declaration, air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv and other regions shortly afterward, with officials warning of incoming Russian drone attacks. By 8 p.m. Saturday, Ukrainian troops at several front-line positions reported no signs of a slowdown in fighting.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram that “the Russians continue to fire in all directions.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X calling the ceasefire “yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives,” noting that Russian drones were active in the skies just minutes after the ceasefire was announced.

Kyiv has long been wary of temporary ceasefires. A similar truce proposed by Moscow in January 2023 during Orthodox Christmas was rejected by Ukraine, citing fears that Russia would use the pause to regroup and reinforce.

This latest truce also coincides with a religious holiday—Orthodox Easter—and comes at a particularly pivotal moment in the war.

Fighting continues to rage in the east. Ukraine has regained some ground near Toretsk, while Russia is advancing around Kupyansk, Lyman, and Kurakhove, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Amid the violence, both sides carried out one of the largest prisoner exchanges of the war on Saturday. Ukraine welcomed home 277 soldiers, while Russia said it received 246 troops in return. Additionally, Russia exchanged 31 wounded Ukrainian soldiers for 15 of its own as a goodwill gesture. The swap was mediated by the UAE.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts appear to be faltering. Russia has continued to ignore the US-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal, prompting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to warn Friday that the US may “move on” from peace talks in the coming days unless there’s progress. Photo by Kremlin.ru, Wikimedia commons.