Putin announces 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire in Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 32-hour ceasefire in the war against Ukraine coinciding with the Orthodox Easter holiday, according to a Kremlin statement released Thursday.

The temporary halt to hostilities is scheduled to begin Saturday at 4 p.m. Moscow time and last until the end of Sunday. Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to suspend combat operations on all fronts during this period, the Kremlin said.

Russian forces have been ordered to remain in full combat readiness throughout the ceasefire and to be prepared to counter any possible provocations or aggressive actions by Ukrainian forces, according to the statement. The Kremlin said it expects Ukraine to take similar steps and follow the example of the Russian Federation.

The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed earlier in the week that each side halt targeting the other's energy infrastructure over the Easter holiday. Zelensky made the offer through the United States, which has been mediating talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as Russia's invasion enters its fifth year.

There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to Putin's announcement, according to reports.

Previous attempts to secure ceasefires have had limited success. Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it. In late March, the Kremlin expressed skepticism about Zelensky's Easter ceasefire proposal, stating it had not seen detailed proposals on the matter at that time.

The Kremlin's statement on the ceasefire emphasized that orders have been issued to cease hostilities in all directions during the specified period.