Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine: Kremlin

Relatives mourn over the coffin of 2 year-old Ganna Sapun during her funeral ceremony three days after being killed in a Russian drone attack on a multi-storey residential in Odesa on April 9, 2026, amid Russian invasion in Ukraine. [AFP]

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire with Ukraine for the duration of the Orthodox Easter holidays, the Kremlin said Thursday, after Kyiv also proposed a pause in hostilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that he had passed a holiday truce proposal via the US, as talks to end the four-year conflict were derailed by the Middle East war.

"A ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026" by Putin, "in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter," the Kremlin said in a statement.

The General Staff "have been instructed to cease combat operations in all directions for this period," the Kremlin said, adding that troops were ready to "counter any possible provocations by the enemy".

"We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation."

Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the warring sides closer to an agreement, further stalling as Washington's attention shifted to Iran.

The negotiations also appeared to be deadlocked, with Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions from Kyiv that Zelensky has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation.

The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, making it the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.