In brief
- Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a two-day ceasefire during Orthodox Easter.
- The two countries have also exchanged bodies of soldiers ahead of the ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine will honor a ceasefire initiated by Russia in observance of Orthodox Easter. This development follows a declaration from the Kremlin, which stated that military activities would be halted for two days during the religious holiday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed hopes that Ukraine will reciprocate in this spirit of pause.
The Kremlin’s statement outlined that the ceasefire would commence at 1600 hours on April 11th and extend through the end of April 12th. This truce aims to provide a temporary respite from hostilities during a significant period of reflection and peace.
President Zelenskyy underscored Ukraine’s willingness to take mutual steps towards peace, emphasizing that the country had previously suggested a ceasefire for Easter. “We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly,” Zelenskyy conveyed through a message on Telegram.
He also highlighted the importance of an Easter free from threats and violence, suggesting that this pause could be a meaningful step toward lasting peace. “People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter,” Zelenskyy remarked, urging for a sustained cessation of hostilities beyond the holiday period.
“We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
“People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter.”
Earlier on Thursday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of soldiers, parliamentary deputy Shamsail Saraliev told the Russian news portal rbc.ru.
He said the Ukrainian side had received 1000 killed soldiers while Russia received 41 bodies.
The politician is responsible in the Russian parliament for matters relating to the “special military operation” as the war is officially called in Moscow.
The previous exchange of remains took place in February.
The office of prisoner-of-war affairs in Kyiv confirmed on Telegram that Ukraine had more than 1,000 bodies.
The authority thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its support.
Forensic experts would now examine the bodies, it said.
This is intended to rule out, among other things, that bodies of Russian soldiers were handed over by mistake.
The staff added that “after the identification of the deceased, the bodies will be handed over to the families for dignified burial”.
Russia and Ukraine exchange soldiers’ bodies on a regular basis.
Last year alone, Ukraine received back more than 15,000 bodies of fallen soldiers, according to official figures.
Russia received only a fraction of that.
Due to the slow but steady advance of Russian troops, the Ukrainian army is not always able to recover its own fallen soldiers.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion with help from allies for more than four years.
— With reporting by Reuters.
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