Coverage of the Easter Truce Violations
Russian officials have reported that Moscow recorded over 6,500 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces during a 32-hour Easter truce declared by President Vladimir Putin. The claims, made by multiple Russian officials and reported by the state news agency TASS, have not been independently verified.
The truce was declared by Putin from 4:00 p.m. Moscow time (1:00 p.m. GMT) on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12, according to TASS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said that Kyiv agreed to the temporary truce, as reported by the Russian outlet.
Key Claims and Accusations
Russian Defense Ministry figures cited in TASS reports put the number of ceasefire violations at 6,558 during the truce period. At a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow recorded "no fewer than 6,500 violations" by Ukrainian forces over the 32 hours the truce was in effect.
Nebenzya further alleged that Ukrainian forces shelled civilian facilities, causing casualties among civilians, including killed and wounded. These specific allegations of civilian casualties were carried by a single source and have not been independently confirmed.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that "the Kiev regime, by refusing to cease fire during the Easter truce, did not demonstrate a will for peace." She asserted that Zelensky never gave the order to cease fire and that Ukrainian forces violated the silence regime more than 6,000 times. These claims, attributed to Russian officials, have not been verified by independent sources.
Local Incidents and Allegations
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the Kherson Region, reported that Ukrainian troops violated the ceasefire by attacking the local administration building in the village of Staraya Zbruyevka and a single-family house in Zhelezny Port early on April 12. According to Saldo's Telegram channel, the buildings were damaged but no one was hurt. He separately reported that six civilians were injured in Ukrainian attacks on the region on Saturday before the ceasefire took effect.
A military expert, Andrey Marochko, told TASS that Ukrainian forces attacked settlements behind Ukrainian lines in the Sumy, Kharkov, and Zaporozhye regions during the truce, allegedly to discredit Russia and its leadership. Marochko claimed this practice occurs with almost every ceasefire, but his assertion is based on his own sources and has not been independently verified.
Perspectives
The Russian reports, as carried by TASS, portray the ceasefire as a humanitarian gesture by President Putin that was rejected by Ukraine. Officials emphasize that Ukraine did not demonstrate a will for peace and accuse Kyiv of using the truce period to blame Russia.
Ukrainian officials have not been quoted in these reports, and the Ukrainian perspective on the ceasefire violations is not included. The Ukrainian government has previously accused Russian forces of violating ceasefires, but those claims are not addressed in the available material.
International observers and independent media have not yet verified the specific numbers or incidents cited by Russian officials. The information presented here relies exclusively on TASS reports and reflects Russian official statements.