Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary ceasefire to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday.
According to BBC news, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had ordered his forces to halt combat operations “in all directions” from 16:00 local time on Saturday through Easter Sunday.
The announcement follows repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a holiday truce, which had previously gone unanswered by Moscow.
Responding to the latest development, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to take “symmetrical steps”, signalling a willingness to observe the ceasefire if Russia does the same.
“People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace,” he said in a statement, adding that Russia now had “a chance not to return to strikes after Easter”.
The conflict, now in its fourth year, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and forced millions of people from their homes. It is considered the deadliest war in Europe since the Second World War.
Efforts to reach a broader peace agreement have so far failed. Talks mediated by the United States have stalled, with major disagreements remaining over Russia’s demands for territorial and political concessions — conditions Ukraine has rejected.
While the Easter truce may offer a short respite, Ukrainian officials continue to push for a full and lasting ceasefire as a first step towards ending the conflict.
