Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine for Orthodox Easter, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv will observe the pause. The truce is scheduled from 4 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday, April 11, until the end of Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The Kremlin said Defense Minister Andrei Belousov ordered Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to halt operations in all directions, while keeping troops ready to respond to provocations. Moscow said it expects Ukraine to follow suit.

Zelenskiy confirmed Ukraine’s participation on X, noting Kyiv had earlier proposed an Easter ceasefire and would act accordingly. He said people need an Easter free from threats and real steps toward peace.

A similar 30-hour Easter truce was announced by Putin in 2025, though both sides later reported violations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS the proposal was not discussed in advance with the United States.

Overnight strikes were still reported, with Ukraine saying it hit sites in occupied Luhansk and Russian drones targeting Odesa.

Orthodox Easter falls on April 12 this year. If upheld, the pause would be the first time both sides have agreed to halt fire simultaneously since the full-scale conflict began.