Russia resumed heavy attacks on Ukraine just hours after a brief Easter ceasefire came to an end, raising fears over the chances of a lasting peace deal, reported by Al Jazeera News.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched 96 drones and three missiles overnight, targeting the regions of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy. Ukraine’s air defense shot down 42 drones and redirected another 47. While no major damage or casualties were reported immediately, missile strikes were confirmed in the port city of Mykolaiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared a 30-hour “Easter truce” on Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons. However, the quiet did not last. Soon after the truce expired on Sunday night, attacks resumed with full force.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the short truce as a “game with human lives” and called for a longer ceasefire. “Thirty hours may make headlines, but 30 days can give peace a real chance,” he said.
The U.S. State Department said it would welcome an extension of the ceasefire, but the Kremlin refused to issue such an order. Efforts to reach a long-term truce appear to be fading, as both Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating the short-lived agreement.
Ukraine claimed nearly 3,000 violations of the truce, especially intense shelling along the Pokrovsk front. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry alleged that Ukraine fired on their positions 444 times and used over 900 drones during the ceasefire period—claims that remain unverified.
Despite the renewed violence, former President Donald Trump remained hopeful, suggesting that a peace agreement could still be reached “this week.”
As missiles light up the skies once again, the brief Easter peace fades into a troubling reminder of a war far from over.
