Russia Accuses Ukraine of Ceasefire Violations.

According to a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces have violated the ceasefire over 1,000 times since its declaration.

 The ministry claims Ukrainian troops carried out 444 direct attacks on Russian military positions and unleashed more than 900 drone strikes, particularly targeting border regions including Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod.

 Russian authorities reported that these assaults left several civilians dead or wounded and inflicted significant damage on homes, schools, and local infrastructure.

In addition to reporting the ceasefire violations, Moscow announced that its forces captured the eastern Ukrainian town of Novomikhailivka just before the truce was officially declared. This marks another strategic gain for Russia in the ongoing eastern offensive, though independent agencies like Reuters have not yet verified this battlefield claim.

On the other side, Ukrainian officials dismissed Russia's accusations as misinformation. 

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of using the ceasefire as a smokescreen, claiming that Russian forces continued heavy shelling, drone raids, and airstrikes across several frontlines even during the hours of the truce. Ukrainian sources reported at least 59 artillery attacks and multiple air and drone assaults within a 12-hour stretch, with northern towns like Sumy, as well as parts of Donetsk and Kharkiv, under constant bombardment.

Zelenskyy criticized Moscow’s intentions, stating, “Either Putin has no control over his own army, or this ceasefire was never meant to be real.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities confirmed that residents along the northern border were ordered to evacuate due to escalating Russian attacks involving glide bombs, artillery, and drones. 

Footage and eyewitness reports from the Sumy region described widespread destruction and the torching of homes by invading forces to clear the way for further advances.

International observers have expressed alarm over the ongoing violence, with the ceasefire’s collapse deepening fears of a drawn-out, grinding conflict with no near resolution in sight. 

Western leaders continue to push for genuine negotiations, but with trust shattered and both armies escalating operations, prospects for lasting peace appear distant.

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As the smoke rises over battered towns and villages, the Easter ceasefire seems destined to become yet another failed attempt at halting the relentless war.

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