Tag: Russia

Ukraine and Russia blamed each other yesterday for breaking the one-day Easter ceasefire that President Vladimir Putin announced, with both sides accusing the other of launching attacks overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of creating a false appearance of honoring the Easter ceasefire, saying his country’s forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and five assaults by units along the front line, as well as dozens of drone strikes.

“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.

In a later update, Zelenskyy said that despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, there had been an increase in Russian shelling and drone attacks since 10 a.m. local time. He said, however, that it was “a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid sirens”.

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“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,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry said that Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks in the Donetsk region and 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 ceasefire.

Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson also said that Ukrainian forces continued their attacks.

Russia launched more strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday than in any other single attack of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said  yesterday, one day before the three-year anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said 267 strike drones had been sent in what he called “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.” Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.

Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in a missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the city military administration.

The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who in a matter of days has upended years of firm support for Ukraine, leading to fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers.

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Trump’s engagement with Russian officials and his agreement to reopen diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with Moscow marked a dramatic about-face in U.S. policy.

Zelenskyy has expressed fears that Trump pushing a quick resolution would result in lost territory for Ukraine and vulnerability to future Russian aggression, though U.S. officials have asserted that the Ukrainian leader would be involved if and when peace talks actually start.

Trump, however, prompted alarm and anger in Ukraine when this week he suggested that Kyiv had started the war, and that Zelenskyy was acting as a “dictator” by not holding elections, despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to his U.S. and European partners not to “abandon” Kyiv in any revived peace talks with Russia, aimed at ending the war between the two nations now nearly three years old.

The return of President Donald Trump to the White House has raised the prospect of renewed negotiations, with the president telling reporters this weekend he had been “making progress” in contacts with Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with Britain’s ITV News published this weekend, Zelenskyy said he “would be ready for any format for talks” if there was “an understanding that America and Europe will not abandon us and they will support us and provide security guarantees.”

Russian officials have expressed openness to renewed talks, but have not indicated any willingness to downgrade Moscow’s longstanding war goals of annexing swaths of Ukraine and blocking Kyiv’s ambitions to join NATO.

Ukrainian soldiers operate howitzer on the frontline near Pokrovsk on Feb. 9, 2025 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine.

Putin has said he’s not willing to negotiate directly with Zelenskyy, dismissing the Ukrainian leader as “illegitimate.”

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A top Russian official  yesterday told state-owned news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow has not yet received any suitable negotiating proposals from the Trump administration.

“We approach such statements realistically. It is important that words are supported by practical steps that take into account Russia’s legitimate interests, demonstrate a willingness to root out the root causes of the crisis and recognize new realities. No specific proposals of this nature have been received yet,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.

The diplomatic maneuvering continues as White House officials prepare to travel to both Germany and Ukraine, with fresh high-level peace talk discussions expected.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend next weekend the Munich Security Conference in southern Germany, where Zelenskyy is expected to lead Kyiv’s delegation.

Trump’s Ukraine-Russia envoy, Keith Kellogg, is then expected to visit Ukraine on Feb. 20.