Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged heavy drone strikes hours before a 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire was due to begin. Russia reportedly launched at least 160 drones; strikes killed civilians and damaged infrastructure in Odesa, Krasnodar and Donetsk. Kyiv says it is willing to reciprocate the truce, but public scepticism remains. Diplomacy has stalled amid territorial disputes and wider regional conflict, with analysts saying Russian advances have slowed since late 2025.
Russia and Ukraine Exchange Heavy Drone Strikes Hours Before 32‑Hour Easter Truce
Kyiv displays destroyed Russian military equipment during the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Genya SAVILOV)(Genya SAVILOV/AFP/AFP)
Russian and Ukrainian forces traded waves of drone strikes from late Friday into early Saturday, only hours before a temporary 32-hour ceasefire was due to begin for Orthodox Easter, officials on both sides said.
Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched at least 160 drones at targets across Ukraine, causing civilian casualties and damage in multiple regions. Officials said four people were killed in attacks in the east and south of the country.
The southern Odesa region was among the worst hit, where authorities reported two fatalities and damage to civilian infrastructure. In Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, local officials said a separate wave of Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an oil depot and damaged apartment buildings.
Russian-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of eastern Donetsk said two people were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike there.
The Kremlin announced a temporary truce starting on Saturday at 4:00 pm local time (1300 GMT) and lasting until the end of Sunday — a 32-hour pause that Moscow said was intended for observance of Orthodox Easter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had "repeatedly stated" it was prepared to observe a ceasefire for Easter and was willing to reciprocate. Nevertheless, many Ukrainians expressed skepticism that the pause would hold: last year’s Easter truce saw both sides accuse the other of hundreds of violations.
Stalled Diplomacy and Wider Context
US-led negotiations aimed at ending the four-year war have largely stalled in recent weeks, officials and analysts say, as attention and diplomatic energy have been diverted to the wider war in the Middle East.
Even before the Middle East conflict, progress toward a negotiated settlement had been slow because of deep differences over territory. Kyiv has proposed freezing the front lines where they stand; Moscow has rejected that approach and demanded that Ukraine cede all territory in the Donetsk region that Russia currently controls — a demand Kyiv says is unacceptable.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia had discussed the ceasefire in advance with Ukraine or the United States and said the pause was not tied to broader negotiations to end the war.
The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions from their homes, making it Europe’s deadliest war since World War II. After four years, fighting along much of the front has largely ground to a near standstill, with Moscow making limited territorial gains at high cost.
According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian advances have slowed since late 2025. Analysts cite several factors behind the slowdown, including Ukrainian counter-attacks, international restrictions on Russia’s access to some satellite and communications services, and Moscow’s own efforts to control information flows. The ISW also notes the situation remains unfavorable for Ukraine in parts of Donetsk, particularly around approaches to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Observers estimate that Moscow currently occupies just over 19% of Ukraine, most of which was seized during the opening weeks of the full-scale invasion.
Reporting compiled from statements by Ukrainian and Russian officials and assessments by international analysts.
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