On Saturday, April 19, 2025, russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced a unilateral 30-hour ceasefire based on claimed humanitarian considerations, to start at 1800 Moscow/Kyiv time and end at midnight Easter Sunday. Vladimir Putin's announcement was almost certainly intended to demonstrate a constructive approach in ongoing talks, without incurring significant costs to russia's battlefield position, according to the UK Defense Intelligence.
Russian forces almost certainly continued to carry out some offensive military operations against Ukrainian forces during the reported ceasefire period, in breach of Vladimir Putin's own ceasefire terms.
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It is likely that the overall tempo of military activity across the frontline decreased. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported no air raid alerts on Easter Day, April 20, and on April 21, Vladimir Putin reportedly acknowledged a decrease in military activity during the ceasefire period.
Russia has not taken up Ukraine's proposal to extend the Easter ceasefire for a 30-day period. There has been no indication that Vladimir Putin has deviated from his maximalist aims in Ukraine.
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