Moscow and Kyiv continued to engage in hostilities ahead of a planned Easter ceasefire set to take hold on Saturday afternoon.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has dragged on into its fifth year, while US efforts to halt the conflict have withered significantly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that Kyiv would pause its defense if Russia stops attacking over the Orthodox Christian holiday.
Moscow, which launched the war on February 24, 2022, announced a temporary 36-hour break in its assaults between Saturday at 4:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) and midnight Sunday, describing the pause as a “humanitarian gesture.”
Strikes continued overnight and into Saturday despite the pending break. Authorities in the southern city of Odesa reported two people killed and several more injured when Russian drones struck residential buildings and a kindergarten. In central Poltava, a “hostile drone attack” killed one person and injured another in a strike that hit a shop and cafe. An attack in the northeastern city of Sumy targeted several residential areas, injuring 14 people, including a 14-year-old and an 87-year-old.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had shot down 99 Ukrainian drones overnight. Drone debris reportedly fell on an oil depot in the Russian town of Krymsk, causing a fire, though local authorities gave no further details on damage.
This weekend’s temporary pause echoes a similar Orthodox holiday ceasefire last year that was widely breached. With US focus reportedly shifting to the US-Israeli situation with Iran, efforts to end the invasion appear to have diminished. Both Moscow and Kyiv have said they will respond to any aggression during this year’s 36-hour intermission.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
