Russian Forces Counter Ukrainian Assaults During Easter Ceasefire
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Synopsis
The Russian Defence Ministry reported repelling Ukrainian attacks during an Easter ceasefire declared by President Putin, while Ukraine accused Russia of ceasefire violations, leading to ongoing tensions and conflicts in the region.
Key Takeaways
- The Russian Defence Ministry claims to have thwarted Ukrainian attacks.
- Ukraine alleges that Russia violated the Easter ceasefire.
- Putin’s truce is set from 6 p.m. Saturday to midnight Sunday.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russia of continuous assaults.
- Both sides have reported casualties and drone strikes.
Moscow, April 20 (NationPress) The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Sunday that it successfully repelled Ukrainian assaults overnight, despite a unilateral Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine, on the other hand, accused Russia of breaching the truce.
The Ministry reported that Russian forces "remained at their previously established lines and positions" while Ukrainian troops "attempted to attack the positions of Russian forces" in the Donetsk region during the night, as per reports from Xinhua news agency.
The Ministry specifically mentioned the villages of Sukha Balka and Bagatyr in the Russian-controlled eastern Donetsk region.
Moscow claimed that Ukraine also launched attacks on the border regions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod, resulting in casualties among civilians.
Furthermore, it stated that Ukrainian forces had targeted Russian positions 444 times and conducted over 900 drone attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Sunday that there had been 26 Russian assault operations from midnight on Saturday to noon, accusing Russia of violating its self-imposed ceasefire.
Putin indicated that the truce commenced at 6 p.m. local time on Saturday and was set to continue until midnight from Sunday to Monday.
When declaring the truce, Putin instructed troops to respond militarily to any breaches of the ceasefire.
Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine would adhere to the truce but would also respond "symmetrically" to any aggressions.
On Sunday, Zelensky confirmed that Russian attacks were still ongoing.
The Russian Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of deploying 48 drones, one of which was targeted in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Ministry reiterated that Ukrainian units "shelled... the positions of our troops 444 times and executed 900 drone strikes."
In a post on X, President Zelensky mentioned on April 20 that Ukraine is "documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and is prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners."
He added, "Either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation reveals that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war and are only interested in favorable PR coverage."
