Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire for the Orthodox Easter holiday, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The truce is set to run from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026, the statement added. The Kremlin said the general staff has been ordered to halt combat operations in all directions during that period while remaining prepared to respond to any “possible provocations.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged an Easter pause earlier this week; he responded to Putin’s declaration on X by saying Kyiv “has repeatedly stated that we are ready for symmetrical steps.” Zelenskyy added that people deserve an Easter without threats and said Russia has an opportunity not to resume strikes after the holiday.
A similar ceasefire was declared last Easter, but both sides accused each other of violations. Orthodox Christians are scheduled to observe Easter on April 12.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected Ukrainian and U.S. proposals for longer or wider ceasefires, instead framing its aim as a permanent end to the full-scale war it launched in February 2022. Attempts to resolve the conflict, now in its fifth year, have stalled amid Russian demands for territorial and political concessions that Kyiv rejects. The United States has tried to help mediate, though recent U.S. attention has shifted toward the conflict involving Iran.