The Kremlin has announced a temporary ceasefire to take place from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday. This decision, described as being driven by humanitarian considerations, aims to halt military actions during this period. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed expectations that Ukraine would reciprocate the gesture while instructing Russian troops to remain vigilant against potential violations or provocations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, criticized the ceasefire, viewing it as a manipulative tactic by Putin. He highlighted ongoing air raid alerts across Ukraine and the presence of Shahed drones as indicators of Russia’s true intentions toward Easter and human life.
Amid these developments, both Russia and Ukraine engaged in a significant exchange of prisoners of war on Saturday. Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the return of 246 Russian service members from areas under Kyiv’s control. In a reciprocal gesture, 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were exchanged for 15 injured Russian soldiers requiring urgent medical attention. Both countries expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their mediation efforts.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha remarked that Kyiv had previously agreed to a U.S. proposal for a full interim ceasefire lasting 30 days in March, which Russia had rejected. The announcement of the ceasefire by Putin follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement on Friday, suggesting that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are reaching a critical point and emphasizing that neither side is manipulating his efforts to resolve the ongoing three-year conflict.
