MOSCOW: Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine in an abrupt end to a fragile Easter truce, while President Vladimir Putin raised questions over Kyiv’s offer of a month-long
halt to strikes on civilian targets.
The new attacks cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a broader ceasefire between the two sides, hours after he said a “deal” could be struck this week.
“Military action has resumed,” Putin told state TV, after Ukrainian officials reported a wave of overnight drone and artillery strikes following the partially observed 30-hour truce. Each side had accused the other of thousands of violations of the ceasefire, which Putin ordered on Saturday.
“But overall, there was a fall in such activity,” Putin said, after listing alleged Ukrainian violations. “We welcome this and are ready to look to the future.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky had welcomed the ceasefire, while warning Ukraine’s military would respond “symmetrically” to whatever Russian forces did.
Kyiv officials have accused Putin of seeking a propaganda victory by proposing the truce — which came hours after Trump threatened to walk away from efforts to secure peace in the three-year war if he did not see progress.
Welcoming a day without air raid alerts across the country, Zelensky on Sunday proposed a followup that would “cease any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days.”
Putin said Russia would “analyse” the idea, but questioned how it would work as he accused Ukraine of using civilian buildings such as restaurants and universities for military purposes. In rare comments on a specific Russian strike, he claimed Ukraine had been using a university building in Sumy for a military awards ceremony on April 13, when two Russian ballistic missiles hit the city centre, killing at least 35 people.
