Russian President Putin announces a temporary ceasefire for Easter, while Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest prisoner swap since the beginning of the war.
Russia n President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine , commencing on Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons. This announcement comes amidst a significant prisoner of war (POW) exchange between Russia and Ukraine , the largest since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion over three years ago. According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will be effective from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) on Sunday.
Putin, addressing Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, stated, 'We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, expressed skepticism, calling the ceasefire 'another attempt by Putin to play with human lives.' He emphasized the ongoing air raid alerts across Ukraine and the presence of Shahed drones, stating, '...reveal Putin's true attitude toward Easter and toward human life.'The prisoner exchange, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, saw Russia return 246 Russian servicemen from territory controlled by Kyiv. Moscow also transferred 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers requiring urgent medical care. Zelenskyy confirmed the return of 277 Ukrainian 'warriors' from Russian captivity. Putin's ceasefire declaration follows statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are approaching a crucial stage and that neither side is 'playing' him in his efforts to end the conflict. This statement comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the United States might abandon attempts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if progress is not made in the coming days. The Biden administration has been actively involved in peace talks but has faced criticism for not achieving a breakthrough.Elsewhere on the battlefield, Russia proclaimed its forces had retaken nearly all of the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had launched a surprise incursion last year. Russia's Defense Ministry stated that its troops had driven Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, one of the last Ukrainian strongholds in the region. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that Russia had liberated 99.5% of the territory initially seized by Ukrainian forces, encompassing an area of 1,260 square kilometers. Zelenskyy, however, maintained that Ukrainian forces 'continued their activity on the territory of the Kursk region and are holding their positions.' Ukraine's air force reported substantial Russian drone attacks overnight, with 87 exploding drones and decoys launched. Of these, 33 were intercepted, and another 36 were likely electronically jammed.
Russia Ukraine Conflict Ceasefire Easter POW Exchange Prisoner Of War Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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