Russian President Vladimir Putin announced humanitarian reasons during a meeting with Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov on Saturday, announcing a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine. The Kremlin said the truce will start from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday and will last until midnight after Easter Sunday.
The news coincided with a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, which said its troops had driven Ukrainian troops out of one of the last footholds in the Kursk region, which triggered a surprise invasion last year.
Putin added: “We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be prepared to repel the truce and provocation that may violate the enemy.”
