Zelenskyy says Russia is trying to create an 'impression of a ceasefire'
as attacks continue
[April 21, 2025]
By VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and ELISE MORTON
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused
Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter
ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks after Russian
President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce.
“As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to
create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does
not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on
Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Despite Putin’s declaration of an Easter ceasefire, Zelenskyy said
Sunday morning that Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of
Russian shelling and five assaults by units along the front line, as
well as dozens of drone strikes.
In later updates, Zelenskyy said that despite Ukraine declaring a
symmetrical approach to Russian actions, “the trend of increasing the
use of heavy weaponry by Russian forces continues.” He said, however,
that it was “a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid
sirens.”
He noted that some Ukrainian troops were killed in a Russian "ambush” on
Sunday in the Donetsk region, and said the Russian soldiers responsible
would be “eliminated."
Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of overnight attacks
in the Donetsk region despite the ceasefire. It said Ukraine had sent 48
drones into Russian territory. According to the ministry, there were
“dead and wounded among the civilian population,” without giving
details. It claimed Russian troops had strictly observed the truce.
Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of
Kherson also said Ukrainian forces had launched attacks.
Zelenskyy said that Russia must fully adhere to the ceasefire conditions
and reiterated Ukraine’s offer to extend the truce for 30 days when it
ends midnight Sunday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said
Moscow had not responded to Kyiv's proposal.
[to top of second column]
|
People stand in line to kiss an icon during the celebration of
Orthodox Easter at Cross Lower Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP
Photo/George Ivanchenko)
“In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army,
or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of
making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested
in favorable PR coverage,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Just hours after announcing the ceasefire, Putin attended an Easter
service late Saturday at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a
vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine.
Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or
whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that
rage around the clock.
His announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday
that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head”
and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end
the grinding three-year war.
The State Department said Sunday that the U.S. is committed to “a
full and comprehensive ceasefire.” It noted encouraging discussions
this past week in Paris about peace prospects in Ukraine, which
Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed in a call to his Russian
counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
