Ukrainian troops had been ordered to stop firing on Russian positions shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced an "Easter truce" on April 19, a senior Ukrainian navy officer informed the BBC's Russia service.
Putin earlier stated he ordered a temporary ceasefire on Easter weekend, halting all navy motion from 6 p.m. Moscow time on April 19 till midnight on April 21.
Minutes after the beginning of the truce, Ukrainian items acquired orders to stop hearth on Russian positions, a senior navy officer reportedly told the BBC.
The officer stated that troops had been additionally ordered to doc picture and video proof of any Russian ceasefire violations and to return hearth if crucial.
The Kyiv Unbiased couldn’t confirm these claims on the time of publication.
Following Putin's name for an Easter truce, the Ukrainian authorities responded with skepticism, citing continued assaults and Moscow's monitor file on ceasefire agreements.
"As for one more try by Putin to play with folks's lives — an air raid alert is sounding throughout Ukraine proper now," President Volodymyr Zelensky stated following the announcement.
Zelensky famous that air protection items had been responding to ongoing Russian assaults and that Shahed-type drones had been noticed over Ukrainian territory.
International Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Putin's phrase was not a assure of a truce and known as consideration to Moscow's persistent refusal to simply accept a full ceasefire.
"Now Putin has made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours as an alternative of 30 days," Sybiha said. "Sadly, we now have appreciable expertise when his statements didn’t coincide together with his actions. We all know that his phrases can’t be believed, and we are going to have a look at actions, not phrases."
Ukraine has been prepared to decide to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on all hostilities since March 11, Sybiha stated.
The recommended Easter ceasefire follows earlier Russian assaults on Ukraine throughout main Orthodox holidays, together with a lethal strike on Sumy on Palm Sunday that killed 35 folks and an assault on Kharkiv throughout Good Friday that killed one particular person and injured 120.
The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir