Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire for Orthodox Easter.

Putin announced that he had ordered Russian troops to cease fire "in all directions" for the coming weekend. Moscow's statement came after Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a ceasefire, but the Kremlin ignored these appeals, according to Air force.

Putin declared a ceasefire effective 16:00 PM local time on Saturday, April 11, and on Easter Sunday, noting that he expected Ukraine to "follow Russia's example." He ordered his troops to be prepared to repel "possible enemy provocations" and any "aggressive actions."

Soon Zelensky wrote on X that Ukraine is “ready for symmetrical steps.”

"People need an Easter without threats and real progress toward peace," he wrote. "Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter."

On the subject: Despite the huge losses in the war with Ukraine, Russia will not run out of soldiers anytime soon, and here's why

Earlier this week, Zelensky said he had asked the United States to convey to Moscow a proposal for a ceasefire over the holiday weekend as a first step.

Any respite will be important for troops on the front lines.

This would, among other things, give some relief to people across Ukraine, where air raid sirens have become part of everyday life and Russian missiles and drones continue to kill and injure civilians.

Just recently, several people were killed in a drone strike on a bus in Nikopol. In Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, a woman was killed when a missile fell near her home in broad daylight.

Sirens sounded again in Kyiv shortly after a weekend ceasefire was announced.

In response, Ukraine intensified drone attacks on Russian territory, particularly against energy export facilities, launching a series of intensive strikes. Russia claims residential buildings were also damaged.

Even if the ceasefire does come into effect on Saturday, Ukrainians are skeptical that it will last.

Earlier this year, Russia, having suspended attacks on Ukrainian power plants in the depths of winter, declared a so-called energy truce, but the pause lasted only long enough to prepare for the next major strike.

Last May, the Kremlin declared a unilateral ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Ukraine recorded hundreds of ceasefire violations.

Kyiv has repeatedly stated that it seeks a complete and lasting ceasefire as a first step toward negotiations on a long-term end to the Russian invasion.

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Moscow, however, insists that a peace agreement must be reached first. This has led Kyiv to accuse Russia of not demonstrating a serious willingness to cease hostilities.

Several rounds of US-mediated talks have taken place to date, but the process has stalled after Donald Trump shifted his attention to the Middle East.

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