Easter ceasefire in Ukraine: Shots fired despite truce

Putin announced an Easter pause. Kyiv agreed. And yet, there was shooting. What the Easter truce was really worth.

Vienna, April 12, 2026 – The ceasefire was in effect from April 11 to the end of April 12. Russian troops were instructed to be ready to suppress any provocations by the enemy.

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was adhering to it. Moscow said the same. And then?

Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violating the Easter ceasefire. Both sides are right. Both sides fired. This is not surprising. This is war.

What this break means

An Easter pause is not peace. It is a signal – to one's own population, to the world, to potential mediators. Putin shows: We can pause when we want to. Zelenskyy shows: We will follow, we are ready.

But the front is moving forward. People are dying every day. And the peace talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi, and Islamabad have yielded nothing so far.

The Two Sides of Power

Ceasefires are news. War is everyday life. For the people in Ukraine, the difference between the two is often a matter of hours.

YANUS observes the situation after the Easter weekend.