Russia 'repelled' Ukraine attacks amid truce
Published: 04:04 PM,Apr 20,2025 | EDITED : 08:04 PM,Apr 20,2025
An Ukrainian serviceman carries his toodler during Easter service, in Kharkiv. — AFP
MOSCOW: Russia said on Sunday that its forces had retaliated after Ukraine attempted attacks overnight despite an Easter truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The defence ministry said in a briefing that 'despite the announcement of the Easter truce, Ukrainian units at night made attempts to attack Russian positions in the areas of Sukhaya Balka and Bogatyr in the Donetsk People's Republic, which were repelled.' The ministry was referring to the villages of Sukha Balka and Bagatyr in the Russian-held part of the eastern Donetsk region. Moscow said Ukraine also attacked the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod border regions of Russia, saying that 'as a result there are dead and wounded civilians'.
When announcing the truce on Saturday, Putin told troops to respond militarily to any violation of the truce. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would comply with the truce but that troops would also respond 'symmetrically' to any attacks. On Sunday Zelensky said Russian attacks were ongoing.
The Russian ministry said its own troops had from 1500 GMT on Saturday 'strictly observed the ceasefire and stayed at the front lines and positions they previously occupied'. The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of launching '48 drones including one in Crimea'. Ukrainian units '444 times shelled... the positions of our troops and carried out 900 strikes with drones', the ministry added.
Russia and Ukraine on Saturday held a large prisoner of war exchange, with each side handing back more than 240 prisoners, the Russian defence ministry said. 'On April 19... 246 Russian soldiers were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return 246 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over. Also as a goodwill gesture, 31 wounded prisoners of war were handed over in exchange for 15 wounded Russian prisoners of war needing urgent medical help,' the ministry said.
The 30-hour truce starting on Saturday evening to mark the religious holiday would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. Putin announced the truce from 1800 Saturday to midnight Sunday in televised comments, saying it was motivated by 'humanitarian reasons'. While he expected Ukraine to comply, Putin said that Russian troops 'must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy'. Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them. — AFP
When announcing the truce on Saturday, Putin told troops to respond militarily to any violation of the truce. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would comply with the truce but that troops would also respond 'symmetrically' to any attacks. On Sunday Zelensky said Russian attacks were ongoing.
The Russian ministry said its own troops had from 1500 GMT on Saturday 'strictly observed the ceasefire and stayed at the front lines and positions they previously occupied'. The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of launching '48 drones including one in Crimea'. Ukrainian units '444 times shelled... the positions of our troops and carried out 900 strikes with drones', the ministry added.
Russia and Ukraine on Saturday held a large prisoner of war exchange, with each side handing back more than 240 prisoners, the Russian defence ministry said. 'On April 19... 246 Russian soldiers were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return 246 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over. Also as a goodwill gesture, 31 wounded prisoners of war were handed over in exchange for 15 wounded Russian prisoners of war needing urgent medical help,' the ministry said.
The 30-hour truce starting on Saturday evening to mark the religious holiday would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. Putin announced the truce from 1800 Saturday to midnight Sunday in televised comments, saying it was motivated by 'humanitarian reasons'. While he expected Ukraine to comply, Putin said that Russian troops 'must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy'. Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them. — AFP