Zelenskyy after "Easter truce": Ukrainian actions will mirror Russian moves

Olha Hlushchenko - 21 April, 01:10

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that Russia has not responded to Ukraine's proposal for a complete ceasefire for 30 days after Easter, nor to the call to extend the silence in the sky regarding civilian infrastructure.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) as of 00:00 on 21 April

Details: Zelenskyy noted that the largest number of attacks and assault actions had been recorded on the Pokrovsk front, adding that Russia had not kept its promise of complete silence on the Kursk front either.

He said a total of 96 Russian assault actions had occurred along the line of contact. The Russians fired 1,882 times on Ukrainian positions, 812 of which were from heavy weapons, and used FPV drones 950 times.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "This day was not enough for Moscow to respond either to the proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire after Easter or to the proposal to at least extend the ceasefire in the sky, refraining from missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure.

The nature of Ukraine's actions will remain symmetrical: ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defence. Actions always speak louder than words."

Previously: On the evening of 19 April, after a report from Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zelenskyy stated that the Russian "Easter truce" had not extended to Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts and that attacks had not ceased on several other fronts.

Zelenskyy offered Russia to extend the ban on long-range strikes for 30 days, as any air-raid warnings had not been recorded during the so-called "Easter truce" despite numerous violations by the Russian Federation on the line of contact.

Background:

On Saturday 19 April, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce, which supposedly meant a halt to all hostilities in Ukraine from the evening of 19 April until midnight on 20 April. Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that Russian forces would uphold the truce only if Ukraine did the same.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would mirror any Russian ceasefire. He also proposed to extend the truce beyond 20 April if a complete silence of arms truly prevails.
Ukrainian defenders on most fronts have not witnessed the so-called "Easter truce" promised by the Russians, according to data from DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts.
Ukraine's General Staff reported that as of 16:00 on 20 April, despite Russia's declared "Easter truce", 45 combat clashes had already occurred along the front line, 20 of them on the Pokrovsk front.
The Kremlin had said that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin had not ordered an extension of the so-called Easter truce, which the Russians did not observe anyway, after midnight on 20 April.

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