Kyiv [Ukraine], April 20 (ANI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Easter Day, despite President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a 30-hour ceasefire in observance of Easter.

https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1913895952592638203

Sharing the post on X on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones have increased; the most active Russian operations have been observed in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions, and they have carried out 26 assaults between midnight and noon on Easter Day.

'We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners,' Zelenskyy said. He added that either Putin does not have full control over his army, or Russia has no intention of a genuine move toward ending the war.

Zelenskyy urged the international community to pressure Moscow to commit to a full ceasefire and maintain it for at least 30 days after Easter, giving diplomacy a real chance to succeed.

He thanked the media, podcasters, and bloggers for sharing the truth about the situation.

'A new report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi on the frontline as of 12:00 p.m. on Easter Day. Despite Ukraine declaring a symmetrical approach to Russian actions, an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones has been observed since 10:00 am, with FPV drone usage alone doubling by the Russian army. The most active Russian operations this morning have been carried out in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions,' Zelenskyy wrote on X.

'In these and several other areas of the frontline, Russia continues to use heavy weaponry. Between midnight and noon today, Russian forces have already carried out 26 assaults. We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners. In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favourable PR coverage,' he added.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said that Russian assault operations are ongoing on several frontline sectors and there is no 'trust' in Moscow's words.

'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,' Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Zelenskyy also stated that Russia has rejected the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, noting that the 30-hour Easter ceasefire is insufficient for building 'genuine confidence'.

In a video shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia on X, President Putin said, 'The Russian Side announces an Easter ceasefire from 06:00 pm today to 00:00 am Monday. This is done for humanitarian reasons. I hereby order all military operations ceased for this period.'

This is the second ceasefire to be announced since the conflict began in 2022. A previous attempt at a ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 failed after both sides were unable to agree on a proposal. (ANI)