Russian President Putin announces ceasefire on Easter, appeals to Ukraine to implement ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire on Easter in the ongoing war with Ukraine. The Kremlin said that this ceasefire will be in force from 6 pm on Saturday (Moscow time) till midnight on Easter Sunday. President Putin made this announcement in a meeting with General Staff Chief General Gerasimov.

Putin said in a meeting with Gerasimov, “Keeping in mind the humanitarian spirit, the Russian side declares a ceasefire from 6 pm today to midnight on Easter. I order to stop all military action during this period.” The Russian President also appealed to Ukraine to respect this ceasefire and implement a ceasefire in response. He said that fighting should be stopped on this festive occasion. However, he also said, our forces should be ready to respond to any ceasefire violation, provocation or aggressive action of the enemy.

In the meeting, General Gerasimov said that except for two small areas bordering Ukraine, the entire Kursk region is now under our control. It is worth noting that in August 2024, the Ukrainian army infiltrated the Kursk region and captured some parts. Now Russia claims that most of the Ukrainian army has been pushed back from there.

The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that Russian forces have pushed back Ukrainian troops from an important area in the Kursk region. The ministry said that Russia has gained control of the village of Oleshnya bordering Ukraine, which was one of the last bases of Ukraine in the region.

Russia and Ukraine release hundreds of prisoners of war
The two countries have also exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war today, which is the biggest exchange so far during the war that has been going on for the last three years.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that 246 Russian soldiers have been brought back from the Ukrainian-controlled area. At the same time, the ministry said that 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were released as a goodwill gesture, in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers who needed urgent medical care. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 277 Ukrainian fighters have returned home from Russian captivity.