Russian Drone Strikes Continue in Ukraine Despite Kremlin's Easter Ceasefire Pledge
Russian forces conducted drone attacks on residential areas in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kherson overnight, causing significant damage to houses, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten. These strikes occurred despite a 32-hour ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Orthodox Easter weekend.
Ceasefire Violations and Military Response
Ukrainian military officials reported that Russia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after the Kremlin's ceasefire took effect on Saturday. Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade, stated that while artillery fire had paused in some sectors, Russian forces persisted in using drones to attack Ukrainian positions.
"The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side," Kolesnychenko told the Associated Press. He added that Ukrainian forces were responding with "silence to silence and fire to fire." Ukraine's military command reported 469 truce violations by Russian forces on Saturday night.
Casualties and Damage in Odesa and Kherson
In Odesa, a Black Sea port city, overnight drone strikes killed at least two people and wounded two others. The attacks damaged multiple residential structures including apartment buildings, houses, and a kindergarten. In Kherson, a public trolley bus driver was killed when the vehicle was struck by a drone less than an hour before the ceasefire was scheduled to begin, according to Kherson's regional head Oleksandr Prokudin.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, of which 133 were shot down or intercepted. Russia's defense ministry claimed that 99 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across Russia and occupied Crimea.
Cross-Border Accusations and Previous Ceasefire Attempts
Russia also accused Ukraine of violating the truce. Alexander Khinshtein, governor of Russia's Kursk border region, stated that a Ukrainian drone struck a petrol station in the town of Lgov, injuring three people including a child after the ceasefire had started. In the adjacent Belgorod region, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported two people injured in Ukrainian drone attacks in Shebekino and Grayvoron.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had promised to abide by the ceasefire, describing it as an opportunity to build on peace initiatives. "Easter should be a time of silence and safety. A ceasefire at Easter could also become the beginning of real movement toward peace," Zelenskyy wrote in an online post. However, he warned that Ukraine would respond strictly in kind to any violations.
Previous ceasefire attempts have had minimal impact, with both sides consistently accusing each other of violations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Putin's ceasefire declaration as a "humanitarian" gesture but emphasized that Moscow remains focused on a comprehensive settlement based on its longstanding demands.
Prisoner Exchange and Family Reunions
Amid the ongoing conflict, a prisoner swap on Saturday brought home 175 Russian soldiers, according to Russia's defense ministry. Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange, stating that 175 service members and seven civilians were returned to Ukraine. "Most had been held in captivity since 2022. And finally, they are home," he wrote on social media.
Hundreds of relatives gathered in northern Ukraine, clutching photos of missing soldiers as they awaited the return of prisoners of war. The emotional scene featured families draped in blue and yellow flags chanting "We welcome you!" as weary returnees reached through windows to shake hands and embrace well-wishers.
Svitlana Pohosyan, waiting for her son's return, expressed hope for the ceasefire: "I want to believe it. God willing, may it be so. We will believe and hope that everything will be fine, that a ceasefire will come on such a holy day, and that there will be peace – peace in Ukraine and peace in the whole world."
Broader Context and Regional Developments
Periodic prisoner exchanges represent one of the few positive outcomes from otherwise fruitless negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. These talks have delivered no progress on key issues preventing an end to Russia's invasion, now in its fifth year.
Separately, seven residents of Russia's Kursk region returned from Ukraine on Saturday after being captured by the Ukrainian army, according to Russian state media. They were greeted at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border by Russia's human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova, who stated they were the last of those taken to Ukraine from Kursk region after Ukrainian forces took control of parts of the region in 2024.
Ukrainian forces made a surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024, marking one of their biggest battlefield successes and the first time Russian territory was occupied by an invader since World War II, dealing a significant blow to the Kremlin.
