Kiev's forces were ordered to stop pulling, according to a high Ukrainian officer / official claims that the Russians continue the shots
Soldier Ukrainea. Photo source: Oleg Petrasiuk / AFP / Profimedia
A senior officer in the Ukrainian army said, after Vladimir Putin's announcement that there will be a cessation of Easter fire, that the Ukrainian troops have been ordered to stop the shots on the Russian units, according to the BBC. Three hours after Putin's statement, a Kiev official stated that there is no cessation of fire.
A senior officer in the Ukrainian army told the BBC that his unit, along with others, was ordered to cease the fire over the Russian positions a few minutes after the Easter armistice announced by Vladimir Putin was to enter into force.
According to him, the units were trained to record photo and video evidence of the armistice violations and to respond if necessary.
The officer said that the announcement “took everyone by surprise” and that, although most wanted an armistice, there is still a state of confusion on what it means.
An Ukrainian official claims that the Russians continue the shots
A Ukrainian official said on Saturday that Russian forces continue to draw on Ukrainian positions despite the Russian President Vladimir Putin a cessation of Easter fire.
“The Russians are trying to claim that they are” peacekeepers “, but they have already refused an unconditional cessation on March 11, and now they are carrying out an information operation, talking about an” armistice “, but continuing to shoot without stop,” wrote on Telegram Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Center for the Consignment.
“All this is for the purpose of blaming Ukraine,” Kovalenko wrote, whose center is a body within the National Security and Defense Council.
Easter armistice announced by Vladimir Putin
“On humanitarian considerations, today, from 6:00 pm [ora Moscovei] until 00:00 [ora Moscovei]from Sunday until Monday, the Russian side declares a Easter armistice. Order that all military actions should be stopped during this period, “said the head of state at a meeting with the head of the General Staff, Valeri Gerasimov, after declaring the armistice, according to the TASS State Agency.
Vladimir Putin unilaterally announced a Easter armistice: “I order that all military actions should be stopped”/ Zelenski's reaction
Putin said that it assumes that Ukraine will follow the example of Russia, but told the chief of the General Staff of Russia, Valeri Gerasimov, to prepare Russian troops to reject any violation by Kiev. The troops must be prepared to reject any challenges of the enemy, any aggressive actions, the Russian leader said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense later announced that it has given instructions on ceasing the fire to all group commanders in the area of ”Special Military Operation”, the term used by the Kremlin.
Russian troops will adhere to the cessation of fire, provided it is “respected each other” by Ukraine, the ministry said in a press statement.
The previous attempt by the armistice
On January 5, 2023, Patriarch Kiril of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, asked both sides to an old Christmas armistice. On the evening of the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin trained the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Şoigu, to declare a temporary cease of 36 hours throughout the entire contact line between Russian and Ukrainian troops, from lunch (12:00, Moscow Hour) until January 6 to January 8 to midnight.
The proposal of armistice was rejected by the Ukrainian authorities, who qualified it as a “cynical trap”. Despite the declaration of cessation of fire, it had a small effect, the struggles continuing.
