Putin declares 30-hour 'truce' as he orders military to stand down in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has announced an Easter truce in Ukraine. The Russian president made the announcement at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Russian state media reports.

"Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to cease for this period," he said.

The statement added: "The ceasefire is being introduced for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian Joint Group of Troops (Forces), provided that it is mutually observed by the Kyiv regime."

Although Kyiv has not yet issued a response, Moscow says it assumes "will follow our example". It added: "At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions."

According to Russia's defence ministry, Putin's troops forced Ukrainian soldiers from one of their last footholds in the Kursk region yetserday. They reportedly took control of Oleshnya, a village on the border with Ukraine.

Zelensky strongly criticised missile strikes on Ukraine yesterday. He said on X: "This is how Russia began this Good Friday - with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds - maiming our people and cities."

An Easter truce was previously issued in 2022 but it never materialised. , who had launched the full-scale invasion of just months earlier, refused the truce "in order not to give the Kyiv nationalists a break".

The temporary truce was proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by 's deputy permanent representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky labelled the proposal as "insincere". He added that it would "give Ukrainian soldiers more time to regroup and receive weapons".

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