Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a ceasefire in the current war with Ukraine during the Orthodox Easter holidays, according to the Kremlin report on Thursday.
As per the report, the temporary cease-fire would be effective from 4 pm on April 11 until the end of April 12. The announcement comes amid stalled peace negotiations and shifting global focus due to escalating tensions in West Asia.
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Holiday truce amid stalled peace efforts
The Kremlin said Russian forces have been instructed to halt combat operations across all directions during the specified period. However, it added that troops remain prepared to respond to any âprovocationsâ.
âWe assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,â the statement said. There has been no immediate response from Kyiv or President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The development follows a recent proposal by Zelensky for a holiday truce, reportedly conveyed through the United States, though earlier rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough.
War grinds on despite slowing advances
In its fourth year, the war is still the deadliest since World War II in Europe, having killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
The combat has stabilised along strategic battle lines, with Russia retaining control over about 19 percent of Ukrainian land. However, analysts observe that although Russia has seen some success, it comes with considerable sacrifice.
Russian advances have slowed down since the latter half of 2025 due to poor communications. This includes the use of satellite technologies like SpaceXâs Starlink and messaging apps such as Telegram.
On the other hand, Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russian energy facilities, particularly their oil export centers, amid high global energy costs due to unrest in the Middle East region.
Key battlegrounds and diplomatic deadlock
The situation remains tense in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, where cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk continue to be strategic flashpoints.
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It has been claimed that Russia has insisted upon the withdrawal of Ukraine from these regions as one of the conditions for achieving peace which has been strongly denied by Kyiv.
Despite the diplomatic moves of the US to find a solution, there have been no significant breakthroughs in peace talks. This is partly due to growing US concerns over Iran.
