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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced a temporary cease-fire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, declaring a 30-hour Easter truce set to begin at 6 p.m. Moscow time (3 p.m. GMT) and last until midnight on Sunday (9 p.m. GMT).
The statement was made during a televised meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, and was confirmed by Russian state media.
"Today from 1800 (6 p.m. MSK) to 0000 (12 a.m. MSK) Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces an Easter truce," said Putin. "I order all combat operations to be halted during this period."
The Russian president described the decision as based on humanitarian considerations, reflecting the significance of Orthodox Easter in the region.
While instructing the armed forces to observe the truce, Putin also warned of potential violations by the Ukrainian side. He stated that Russian forces must remain vigilant and ready to respond to any provocations or acts of aggression.
"They must be prepared to repel any provocation from the enemy, any aggressive actions," Putin said during the meeting with Gerasimov.
The previous 30-day moratorium on military strikes on energy infrastructure showed a clear absence inclination by Kyiv towards finding solutions via peaceful negotiations, he said, adding that Ukrainian forces had breached it over 100 times.
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