3 Killed in Ukraine as Russian Strikes Shatter Easter Ceasefire

Three people were killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region by Russian attacks that occurred during the 30-hour ceasefire declared unilaterally by President Vladimir Putin on Easter Sunday.

Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin posted on Telegram about the deaths that occurred in the past 24 hours. He also added that three other people were injured.

In total, Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times. This was the conclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a Telegram message he sent in the early morning hours of Monday. Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces conducted 96 assaults along the frontline, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times, and used hundreds of drones throughout the ceasefire.

“The nature and character of Ukrainian actions will remain mirror-like. We will continue to respond to silence by silence, while our blows are a defense against Russian blows. Actions speak louder than mere words,” he stated.

Putin announced on Saturday a temporary truce for Easter, citing humanitarian concerns. Ukraine has said it will reciprocate any ceasefire declared by Moscow but expressed skepticism about the Kremlin’s intentions. Both sides exchanged accusations of violations soon after. Following Easter Sunday, the ceasefire ended at midnight (2000 GMT).

Ukraine’s Air Force said that overnight and into Monday, the Russian forces launched three missiles against Ukraine’s southern regions, Kherson, Mykolaiv, as well as 96 Shahed Drones, which targeted other parts of Ukraine. The Air Force of Ukraine reported that it had downed 42 drones and jammed 47 others in mid-flight.

Gov. Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram that Russian drones started a fire in the Dnipropetrovsk area at an “outbuilding” and also a “food business”. Serhiilysak posted a message on Telegram. He said that no one was hurt in the attack. Overnight, a non-specific infrastructure object was damaged in the Cherkasy Region. Ihor Taburets told Telegram that he was in Cherkasy.

The Russian Defense Ministry, in a statement on Monday, maintained that Moscow’s forces “strictly observed the ceasefire and remained at previously occupied lines and positions.” It accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire 4,900 times, including six attempts at assault operations, 1,404 attacks from artillery, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and 3,316 drone strikes targeting Russian troops.

According to the ministry, once the ceasefire ended, the Russian military “resumed their special military operations” in Ukraine.