Russian soldiers 'attack Ukrainian troops hours after Putin announces truce' (2025)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an Easter Truce with Ukraine, set to last until midnight on Sunday evening.

But just hours into the truce, Russia has been accused of breaking it – by attacking Ukrainian soldiers again.

A Ukrainian official said Russian forces were continuing to open fire on Ukrainian positions.

‘The Russians are trying to pretend that they are ‘peacekeepers’, but they already refused an unconditional ceasefire on March 11 and now are conducting an information operation, talking about a ‘truce’ but continuing to shoot without stopping,’ Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation, wrote on Telegram.

‘This is all with the aim of blaming Ukraine,’ wrote Kovalenko, whose centre is a body within the National Security and Defence Council.

All military actions had been told to halt for the duration of the Easter holiday – a day after Putin launched anattack on a factory baking Easter treats that led to one person being killed and another injured.

Easter treats were seen littered among rubble and dust after the strike on the baking factory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X on Saturday evening: ‘As of now, according to the Commander-in-Chief reports, Russian assault operations continue on several frontline sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided.

‘Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow.

‘We know all too well how Moscow manipulates, and we are prepared for anything. Ukraine’s Defense Forces will act rationally — responding in kind.

‘Every Russian strike will be met with an appropriate response.’

The attack on Sumy follows another strike on Palm Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said was ‘right in the heart of the city’.

It killed 34 people, including two children and injured 117 others.

There was an attempted Easter Truce in 2022, shortly after the war broke out that February, but it fell through.

A historic prisoner swap

Russia and Ukraine havealso swapped hundreds of prisoners in the war’s largest exchange, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv and that, ‘as a gesture of goodwill’, 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr said that 277 Ukrainian ‘warriors have returned home from Russian captivity.’

The news came as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

The announcement comes after yesterday, the US suggested that if no progress was made with peace talks, they would ‘move on’ from the discussions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the US would stop helping after months of efforts had failed to bring an end to the fighting.

PresidentDonald Trumpadded: ‘Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish. You are fools, you horrible people.

‘And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won’t have to do that.’

Trump previously claimed he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine ‘within 24 hours’.

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