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Politics
Apr 11, 2026

32‑Hour Orthodox Easter Ceasefire Takes Effect as Russia and Ukraine Swap 175 Prisoners

AI Summary
A 32‑hour ceasefire coinciding with Orthodox Easter began on Saturday, with both Moscow and Kyiv pledging compliance. The truce follows a Russian‑ordered pause and includes a reciprocal exchange of 175 prisoners, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, amid ongoing drone strikes and skepticism about its durability.

A temporary 32‑hour ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine started at 4:00 p.m. local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday and will run until midnight on Sunday, according to the Kremlin. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed Kyiv’s commitment to honor the pause provided Moscow does the same.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the ceasefire to align with Orthodox Easter celebrations, more than a week after Zelenskyy first proposed the truce. Both sides have publicly confirmed their intention to observe it.

Zelenskyy posted on social media that Ukraine will “adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind. The absence of Russian strikes in the air, on land, and at sea will mean no response from our side.” The Ukrainian army added it stands ready to react immediately if the truce is breached.

Hours before the truce began, Russian forces launched at least 160 drones against Ukrainian targets, killing four civilians in the east and south and wounding dozens. The southern Odesa region suffered two fatalities and damage to civilian infrastructure.

In the Russian‑occupied parts of Donetsk and Kherson, Ukrainian drone attacks killed four people, according to officials installed by Moscow.

Public confidence in the ceasefire remains low. Last year’s Easter pause saw numerous accusations of violations from both sides, and similar doubts persist this time.

Despite the tension, the warring parties completed a reciprocal exchange of 175 prisoners of war each on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates facilitated the swap, as confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Prisoner exchanges have become one of the few tangible outcomes of the stalled U.S.-brokered peace talks, which continue to falter over territorial issues.

Ukraine has reiterated its proposal to freeze the conflict along the current front lines, a suggestion Russia rejected, insisting Kyiv relinquish all territory it holds in the Donetsk region—an offer Kyiv deems unacceptable.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia did not discuss the Easter proposal with the United States in advance and did not signal an immediate revival of the three‑way peace negotiations.

Fighting on the front has largely stalled. While Russia has achieved modest territorial gains at a high cost, Ukrainian forces have recently pushed back in the southeast, and Russian advances have slowed since late 2025, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Moscow now occupies just over 19 percent of Ukraine, most of which was seized in the early weeks of the conflict.