Russia launched a fresh wave of overnight attacks on Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said early Monday, as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violating an Easter ceasefire that President Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced on Saturday.
Russian forces launched 96 drones and three missiles targeting several regions, including Kharkiv in the east and Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Local and regional officials reported limited damage and no civilian injuries.
In Dnipropetrovsk, a home was damaged and a fire broke out at a food establishment, but no one was hurt, Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram. Vitaliy Kim, governor of Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, said the attacks there caused no casualties or damage.
Putin’s order to halt combat operations during the Orthodox Easter weekend followed months of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to push Russia and Ukraine toward a ceasefire agreement. Last month, the Kremlin rejected an unconditional 30-day truce proposed by the United States and supported by Kyiv.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations over the weekend. Still, he noted there were no air raid alerts at the time and proposed a pause on long-range drone and missile strikes targeting civilian infrastructure.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of around 4,900 ceasefire violations and confirmed that its forces had resumed combat operations after the truce expired at midnight. The ministry also said it had downed more than 100 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated the alleged ceasefire violations by Ukraine during a daily press briefing on Monday.
“You’ve heard the statement from our Defense Ministry, which is the body authorized to assess the situation from a military standpoint. That assessment has been given, including evidence of violations by the Ukrainian side,” he said. “I have nothing to add.”
In addition, Peskov was asked to comment on one of Trump’s social media posts from Sunday, where he expressed hopes that Russia and Ukraine would agree to a peace deal in the coming week.
“I don’t want to give comments now, especially about the time frame. President Putin and the Russian side remain open to the search for a peaceful settlement,” he told reporters.
Later on Monday, Putin said he would consider Zelensky’s proposed pause on targeting civilian infrastructure, but he questioned how it would work in practice as he accused Ukraine of using civilian buildings for military purposes.
Previous attempts at holiday ceasefires, such as during Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023, also collapsed amid failed negotiations.
AFP contributed reporting.
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