Orthodox Easter ceasefire collapses as Ukraine reports 2,299 Russian violations

Hours before the truce began, violence escalated dramatically. Russia launched at least 160 drones across Ukraine, killing four people and injuring dozens in eastern and southern regions. The port city of Odesa suffered particularly heavy damage, with two fatalities and strikes on civilian infrastructure including residential buildings and a kindergarten.

Ukrainian forces responded with their own drone campaign, targeting Russia's Krasnodar region and sparking fires at an oil depot while damaging residential buildings. Russian-installed officials in occupied territories reported four additional deaths from Ukrainian strikes.

Despite the military escalation, both sides managed to conduct a prisoner exchange on Saturday, swapping 175 detainees each. The United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange, which represented one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring parties.

The failed truce echoed a similar Orthodox Easter ceasefire attempt in 2025, which also collapsed amid mutual accusations of hundreds of violations. Ukrainian civilians had expressed deep skepticism about the current agreement's prospects.

It's not for long, a day and a half, so maybe it will hold. But even if you're going to church, there is no 100-percent guarantee that everything will be peaceful... you shouldn't trust Putin and his government

Oleg Polyskin, Kharkiv resident — RFE/RL

The ceasefire's collapse highlighted the broader diplomatic stalemate surrounding the conflict. US-led peace negotiations have stalled over territorial disputes, with Ukraine proposing to freeze the conflict along current front lines while Russia demands control over all of Donetsk region.

As the truce period officially ended Sunday night, both militaries remained on high alert. The failure underscored how deeply entrenched positions have become after more than four years of warfare, with neither side willing to risk appearing weak even during a religious holiday.