Russia, Ukraine Agree To 32-hour Orthodox Easter Ceasefire

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary ceasefire over Orthodox Easter, raising cautious hopes for a pause in hostilities in a war that has dragged on for over four years.

Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, is the most significant religious feast for Orthodox Christians, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is typically celebrated later than Western Easter, between April 4 and May 8, because it uses the Julian calendar. In 2026, it is observed on April 12. Key traditions include strict fasting followed by feasting, church services, and painting eggs red.

The Kremlin announced that the truce, ordered by Vladimir Putin, will begin at 4:00 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Saturday and last until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour window described as a “humanitarian” pause.

According to Moscow, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and army chief Valery Gerasimov have been directed to halt hostilities “in all directions” during the period.

“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the Russian Federation’s example,” the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signalled readiness to reciprocate, noting that Kyiv had earlier proposed an Easter truce.

“We proposed a ceasefire for the Easter holidays this year and will act accordingly,” Zelensky said, indicating Ukraine’s willingness to observe the pause.

However, the Kremlin acknowledged that the ceasefire was not negotiated in advance with Ukraine or the United States, underscoring the fragile and unilateral nature of the arrangement.

This is not the first attempt at an Easter ceasefire. Russia declared a similar 30-hour truce last year, though both sides later accused each other of hundreds of violations. Despite this, Ukraine reported a temporary reduction in Russian air raids.

Days after that truce, Moscow proposed another pause tied to its May 9 Victory Day celebrations, which Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed as “cynicism of the highest order,” rejecting any move to create what he described as a “pleasant atmosphere” for the event.

Repeated proposals for longer ceasefires have failed, with Russia pushing for a comprehensive settlement while Ukraine accuses Moscow of using negotiations to press for capitulation.

The current phase of the war began on February 24, 2022, when Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine from multiple fronts, including Belarus and Crimea.

But the conflict traces back to 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists.