Easter Ceasefire: Fragile Truce or Tactical Maneuver?

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise Easter ceasefire lasting 30 hours in Ukraine, which Kyiv dismissed as untrustworthy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy cited ongoing Russian artillery actions and questioned Moscow's sincerity. Past truce attempts have failed, raising skepticism over Russia's true intentions and possible motives behind the move.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's unexpected announcement of a one-day ceasefire for Easter in Ukraine has been met with skepticism. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine asserted that artillery fire from Russian forces continued, dismissing the truce as insincere.

Despite the ceasefire set from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight on Sunday, air raid sirens were reported in Kyiv, indicating ongoing conflict. Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported continued Russian assault operations, reinforcing doubts about the ceasefire's authenticity.

Past similar moves have yielded little change, as local residents and international stakeholders express distrust in Putin's intentions. Skepticism remains high, given the failure of previous ceasefire attempts, including a U.S.-brokered proposal rejected by Moscow last month.

(With inputs from agencies.)