Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Vladimir Putin’s declaration of a 30-hour „Easter truce“ has „proven empty“ after Russian attacks on Easter Sunday. Elsewhere, the UK has confirmed RAF jets intercepted Russian planes to defend NATO airspace this week. Follow the latest below.
Sunday 20 April 2025 21:04, UK
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Earlier, we brought you pictures of Ukrainian servicemen marking Easter on the frontline (see 4.13pm post).
We can now show you pictures of Russian soldiers attending an Easter service at an unspecified location in Ukraine.
Each week, Sky’s military analyst Professor Michael Clarke answers questions from readers on the war in Ukraine.
This week, he looked at Donald Trump’s position when it comes to Russia – and how two particular issues may be influencing his stance there.
Clarke also explained why Russia can’t have all of Ukraine and what will happen when the time comes for someone to succeed Putin.
Watch the full Q&A here…
More from Volodymyr Zelenskyy now, who has offered a new proposal to Russia.
The Ukrainian president has offered to „cease any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days“.
He says there should also be the possibility of an extension.
„If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it intends to continue doing only those things which destroy human lives and prolong the war.“
It’s worth noting that Zelenskyy has repeatedly been calling for Vladimir Putin to extend his declaration of a 30-hour truce beyond tonight.
The Kremlin has since indicated that this is not being considered by the Russian president, however (see 4.54pm post).
Another update to bring you from Volodymyr Zelenskyy now, who has shared the latest report from commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
It claims the Russian army has violated Putin’s ceasefire – which came into effect at 4pm UK time yesterday – „more than 2,000 times“.
„There have already been 67 Russian assaults against our positions across various directions, with the highest number in the Pokrovsk direction,“ the report says.
„There were a total of 1,355 cases of Russian shelling, 713 of which involved heavy weaponry. The Russians also used first-person-view drones (FPVs) 673 times.“
The report adds that there have been no air raid alerts today, stating that „this is a format of ceasefire that has been achieved“.
Vladimir Putin’s „Easter truce“ has been described as a „pass“ to Donald Trump after he threatened that the US could abandon efforts to broker peace, a Ukrainian MP has said.
Speaking to Sky’s Barbara Serra, Kira Rudik said „the keys to ending the war are in Moscow“.
„We are not the problem, Russia is the problem,“ she said.
„It’s much more complicated to put the pressure on them than us.“
But Rudik stated that the solution to ending the war must not be a „quick victory“ – adding that attempts to reach an agreement are „complicated and hard“.
„The main question that is not answered as of right now is who or what will make sure that Putin will keep his side of the bargain,“ Rudik added.
Watch the full interview below.
With just hours remaining until Vladimir Putin’s „Easter truce“ comes to an end, it’s worth noting that we’ve only just received the first reaction from the US.
The state department said it would welcome an extension of the 30-hour truce, although the Kremlin has indicated this will not be ordered by Putin (see 4.54pm post).
But we’ve still not had any reaction from Donald Trump.
The US president is often quick to claim diplomatic wins, and there have been suggestions that his recent comments over threatening to abandon peace attempts could have led Putin to suddenly declare the truce (see 4.54pm post).
Trump has been active on his Truth Social account, although he’s been sharing Easter messages.
For context: Earlier this week, Trump said the US would „take a pass“ on brokering peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if either side „makes it very difficult“.
Those comments came after his secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the US was going to „move on“ from brokering peace unless there are clear signs of progress in the coming days.
Watch those comments from Rubio below.
It’s just gone 6pm in the UK, 8pm in Moscow and Kyiv.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know:
We’ve just brought you comments from the Kremlin indicating there will not be an extension to Vladimir Putin’s „Easter truce“.
It’s due to end at 10pm UK time, but the pause never really seemed to get off the ground.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of violating the 30-hour pause, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisting Ukraine would mirror Russia’s actions.
But the Ukrainian president also called for a longer 30-day pause to „give peace a chance“ – and it’s not the first time it has been suggested.
Ukraine agreed to a US proposal of an unconditional 30-day ceasefire last month, with US secretary of state Marco Rubio stating the ball was in Russia’s court.
But Putin outlined a series of „questions“ regarding the proposal, and went on to lay down his own demands.
Watch Putin’s response to a 30-day ceasefire proposal last month
However, there was an agreed 30-day pause on all strikes targeting energy infrastructure between both Ukraine and Russia.
Based on public statements, both countries appeared to agree to the moratorium, but within a few days Kyiv and Moscow traded accusations that the other side had not adhered to the ceasefire.
The agreement expired on 18 April and was not renewed.
There were also proposals for a ceasefire in the Black Sea. Ukraine viewed the deal as immediate but Russia insisted it would only start when certain sanctions on Russian firms were lifted.
As a result, it was another ceasefire that never really started – despite the Trump administration claiming a diplomatic win.
Vladimir Putin has not ordered to extend his Easter ceasefire, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The comments reported by Russian news agency Tass come just hours before Putin’s 30-hour „Easter truce“ is due to expire.
Russia’s president vowed to pause „all military operations“ from 4pm UK time yesterday until 10pm UK time tonight – but both sides have since accused each other of violations.
Last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the proposal to be extended, claiming 30 hours was „enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures“.
He added that a 30-day pause „could give peace a chance“.
Vladimir Putin’s „Easter truce“ announcement is an example of Russia trying to portray itself as an agreeable negotiating partner in response to recent US threats, analysts have said.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump said the US would „take a pass“ on brokering peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if either side „makes it very difficult“.
Those comments came after his secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the US was going to „move on“ from brokering peace unless there are clear signs of progress in the coming days.
But analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have said Putin’s declaration likely came as a direct response to those remarks.
„Russia is likely leveraging its unilateral implementation of a temporary truce in Ukraine to introduce informational conditions that will act as a pretext to support Russia’s continued efforts to undermine and discredit Ukraine,“ they said.
The campaign assessment added that Russia is likely attempting to „curry favour“ with the United States in response to the Trump administration’s comments.
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Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy says Russia has violated Putin's 'Easter truce' more than 2,000 times – and offers proposal on halting some missile strikes – Sky News
