KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces killed three civilians and wounded several others in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region during a 30-hour Easter ceasefire declared unilaterally by President Vladimir Putin, regional officials said Monday. The ceasefire, which began Saturday and ended at midnight local time, was intended as a gesture of goodwill during Orthodox Easter, but quickly unraveled as both sides accused each other of violations.
Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Ukrainian military administration in Kherson, said on Telegram that three people were killed and three others injured over a 24-hour period in Russian attacks across the region. Parts of Kherson remain under Russian occupation, while the remainder continues to be targeted by frequent shelling.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a statement Monday, accused Moscow of violating the Easter ceasefire more than 2,900 times, calling the truce “a façade.” According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces launched 96 ground assaults, shelled Ukrainian positions over 1,800 times, and deployed hundreds of explosive drones during the brief pause.
“The nature of Ukrainian actions will remain mirror-like: we will respond to silence with silence, and our blows will be a defense against Russian strikes. Actions always speak louder than words,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted to social media.
While Kyiv pointed to widespread violations by Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry countered with its own accusations, alleging 4,900 Ukrainian breaches of the ceasefire. Moscow insisted its forces held their positions and strictly adhered to the ceasefire terms throughout its duration.
President Putin, speaking on state television Monday, confirmed the end of the ceasefire and said hostilities resumed after it expired at midnight Sunday. He also responded to Zelenskyy’s proposal for a broader 30-day truce or, at minimum, a halt to strikes on civilian infrastructure.
“Kyiv is trying to seize the initiative,” Putin said. “We must think about this carefully, assess the results of the ceasefire, and evaluate how to proceed.”
Putin has previously conditioned any comprehensive ceasefire on a halt to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization—preconditions Kyiv and its Western allies have flatly rejected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed that sentiment on Monday, stating that Russia remains open to “a peaceful settlement” and continues diplomatic engagement with Washington. “We are informing all interested parties about the Ukrainian ceasefire violations,” Peskov said, expressing hope that ongoing discussions with the U.S. would bear fruit.
Asked about speculation that the United States may be pressuring Ukraine to accept Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, President Donald Trump said more details would be provided in the coming days.
“We had very good meetings on Ukraine and Russia,” Trump told reporters. “I’ll be giving you a full detail over the next three days.”
Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out any recognition of Russian-occupied territory, including Crimea, insisting that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.
The Ukrainian president held talks Monday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a high-level diplomatic meeting in London scheduled for Wednesday, where Ukrainian, U.S., British, and French officials will discuss peace proposals.
“We are ready to move forward as constructively as before to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by a real and lasting peace,” Zelenskyy said on X. “This Easter made it painfully clear that it is Russia’s actions that are prolonging the war.”
Russian forces launched a series of attacks overnight into Monday, including three missile strikes targeting Kherson and the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 96 Shahed drones were deployed by Russia, with 42 intercepted and 47 jammed mid-flight.
In Dnipropetrovsk, drones ignited fires at a food facility and another structure, though no injuries were reported, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. In central Ukraine’s Cherkasy region, regional head Ihor Taburets said an unspecified piece of infrastructure sustained damage from a separate drone attack.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Donetsk region—partially occupied by Russia—four civilians were wounded as Russian forces shelled local settlements five times in the past 24 hours, regional chief Vadym Filashkin said.
