Ukraine warfare newest: Russia broke Easter truce ‘practically 3,000 instances’; air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv | World Information

By Mark Wyatt, reside information reporter

Welcome again to a different week of our reside protection of the warfare in Ukraine and efforts to convey an finish to the combating.

Earlier than we get to our reside updates, here is the whole lot you should know forward of a brand new week.

Putin’s ‘Easter truce’

Vladimir Putin stunned the world on Saturday when he introduced that he was ordering all of Moscow’s forces to put down their weapons for an “Easter truce”.

The Russian president mentioned his determination was “guided by humanitarian concerns” and that the momentary pause in combating would final from 6pm native time on Saturday till the stroke of midnight final night time (10pm BST).

Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine would reply to Putin’s ceasefire accordingly and meet “silence in response with silence”, however added that he would additionally authorise “defensive strikes in response to assaults” if Moscow have been to interrupt its truce.

The silence by no means got here, with Ukraine’s president reporting Russia rapidly went again on its phrase, claiming there had been “dozens” of strikes on Ukrainian positions on Saturday night time and into yesterday morning (see our 7.01am publish).

The Kremlin hit again with its personal accusations, saying it had counted greater than 900 Ukrainian drone assaults, whereas insisting its navy teams had “strictly abided” by the ceasefire.

Some observers did report an easing of assaults on Ukraine’s main cities however hostilities continued elsewhere.

Sky’s navy analyst Sean Bell steered three causes Putin proposed the truce – for his home picture as a peacemaker, with a purpose to transfer troops out of Kursk after largely reclaiming the Russian territory from Ukrainians, and as a gesture to please Donald Trump.

As Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett put it, Russia’s ceasefire appeared “extra like a diplomatic dance, reasonably than a navy, or ethical, manoeuvre”.

Might US ‘stroll away’?

The US has made no secret of its rising frustration on the lack of progress in peace negotiations and Trump threatened to “take a move” on makes an attempt to achieve an settlement late final week.

That got here after his secretary of state Marco Rubio mentioned the US would possibly “stroll away” from talks after spending two months sitting down with each side on a number of events with little to indicate for it.

Rubio had simply completed a spherical of talks with Ukrainian and European officers in Paris alongside Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff.

Watch: US able to stroll away from peace efforts, Rubio says

Nonetheless, Russia’s “Easter truce” may need shifted views in Washington considerably, even when it was not extensively noticed. It is the primary actual concession made by Moscow since Trump initiated peace negotiations two months in the past.

“It seems like Putin is giving Trump simply sufficient to maintain him on facet, with out truly making any main concession,” says Bennett.

Prisoner change

This Easter weekend additionally noticed Russia and Ukraine swap lots of of prisoners within the warfare’s largest change thus far.

A complete of 277 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity – a determine which incorporates 31 wounded prisoners of warfare transferred in change for 15 wounded Russian servicemen in want of pressing medical care.

Russia’s defence ministry mentioned 246 Russian servicemen have been returned in complete.

Minerals deal

Trying ahead to the week forward, the US and Ukraine are anticipated to signal a long-awaited minerals deal.

Trump has pushed for a deal that will permit the US to share within the earnings of Ukraine’s pure assets and significant minerals, one thing he casts as compensation for navy help supplied by Washington to Kyiv since 2022.

The deal was anticipated to be achieved weeks in the past however was derailed by Zelenskyy’s falling out on the White Home.

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent mentioned the present deal was “considerably what we would agreed on beforehand”.

That earlier settlement was by no means revealed, however particulars have been shared by Ukrainian media on the time. 

It envisaged Ukraine contributing 50% of its future proceeds from state-owned mineral assets, oil and gasoline to an funding fund, which might be used “to advertise the protection, safety and prosperity of Ukraine”.

Battlefield newest

Moscow’s navy chief of workers Valery Gerasimov instructed Vladimir Putin over the weekend that Russian troops had retaken greater than 99% of the territory seized by Ukraine within the Kursk area in an incursion launched in August.

These maps present the most recent territorial state of affairs, indicating how a lot floor is held by Russian and Ukrainian forces:

And for those who missed the most recent Q&A session with Professor Michael Clarke speaking all issues Russia and Ukraine, you’ll be able to watch it in full right here: