&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Russia-Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin announces 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter")
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in the war with Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday, according to the Kremlin, following a similar truce proposal from Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said he relayed a holiday ceasefire plan through the United States, as peace efforts stalled amid shifting global focus to tensions in the Middle East.
"A ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026," by Putin, "in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter," the Kremlin said in a statement. Russia’s military leadership was ordered to halt operations across all fronts during the period. The General Staff "has been instructed to cease combat operations in all directions for this period," the Kremlin said, adding that troops were ready to "counter any possible provocations by the enemy".
“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation.” Multiple rounds of US-led negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough, with diplomatic momentum weakening as attention shifted toward Iran. Talks remain deadlocked, with Moscow seeking territorial and political concessions that Kyiv has rejected as unacceptable. The war has resulted in massive casualties and displacement, becoming the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Russia returns bodies of 1,000 soldiers to Ukraine
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Moscow on Thursday (April 9) handed over the remains of 1,000 soldiers to Ukraine, according to a source from Russia’s negotiating delegation. In return, Kyiv handed over the bodies of 41 deceased Russian troops. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the exchange on social media, saying that the bodies of 1,000 deceased persons were returned to Ukraine. “According to the Russian side, the returned bodies belong to Ukrainian service members,” it said.
