The Kremlin has announced plans to resume combat operations from 00:00 on April 21, disregarding President Volodymyr Zelensky’s initiative to prolong the Easter ceasefire, which Moscow unilaterally declared the day before.
This was reported by The Moscow Times, citing Russian media, according to Ukrinform.
Responding to a Russian news agency’s inquiry about whether the ceasefire would end on the night into Monday or be extended, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that there would be no extension.
“There were no other commands,” Peskov said.
On April 19, at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the temporary ceasefire, stating that from 18:00 on April 19 until midnight on April 21, Russian forces would suspend fire at the front, expecting a similar response from Kyiv.
On Saturday, during a meeting with Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin announced his decision to implement an Easter truce. He stated that from 18:00 on April 19 until midnight on April 21, Russian forces would halt fire along the front, expecting a reciprocal response from Kyiv.
Zelensky, for his part, said he supported the initiative and offered to extend the ceasefire after the end of Easter on April 20 if the ceasefire is truly respected.
As reported by Ukrinform, on April 20 – the supposed day of ceasefire – 46 Russian assault operations took place at the front by 4 p.m., and over 400 FPV drone attacks had already been recorded.
In addition, Russian forces staged a provocation in Donetsk to falsely accuse Ukraine of violating the ‘Easter truce’ they had declared.
Meanwhile, the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, named after Prince Mstyslav the Brave, of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that Russian troops were exploiting the so-called ceasefire to clear the Chornyi Zherebets River crossing of destroyed equipment in preparation for assault operations.
