Three Russian regions have been targeted by Ukraine since the announcement of the ceasefire, a senior diplomat has said

Ukraine has committed several violations of the Easter truce, Rodion Miroshnik, a senior diplomat at the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the pause in hostilities would be in effect from 6:00pm Moscow time on Saturday and last through Sunday until midnight on Monday. he instructed the country's military to stay on high alert and be ready "to respond to any violations or provocations." Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said a few hours later that Kiev's forces "will act in a reciprocal way."

"Kiev violated the Easter truce," Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large overseeing investigations of war crimes by Kiev, said on Sunday.

Overnight, the Ukrainian forces attacked a suburb of the town of Kremennaya in Russia's Lugansk People's Republic, he said.

On Sunday morning, the town of Gorlovka in Donetsk People's Republic was targeted with four 155mm shells, the diplomat informed. There were also attempts to attack the regional capital, Donetsk, he added.

In Kherson Region, the settlements of Aleshki, Golaya Pristan and Kakhovka were hit by drones and mortars after the truce took effect, Miroshnik said.

More reports of violations of the Easter ceasefire by Kiev are coming in, according to the diplomat.

During their phone call on March 18, Putin accepted his US counterpart Donald Trump's proposal to introduce a 30-day pause on strikes targeting energy facilities operated by Kiev and Moscow.

READ MORE: Zelensky reacts to Putins Easter ceasefire announcement

Zelensky also said at the time that his country would abide by the truce. However, the Russian Defense Ministry has been reporting daily violations of the partial ceasefire by Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the energy infrastructure truce had expired and that there had been no orders to prolong it from the Russian president.

(RT.com)