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Russia Attacks Amid Putin Ceasefire 04/21 06:13
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire
unilaterally declared by President Vladimir Putin over the weekend killed three
people in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, the local governor said Monday.
Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram that the casualties occurred over
the last 24 hours, adding that three others were wounded.
Overall, Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram statement in the early hours
on Monday. Zelenskyy said that Russian forces carried out 96 assault operations
along the front line, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times and
used hundreds of drones during the course of the ceasefire.
"The nature of Ukrainian actions will continue to be mirror-like: we will
respond to silence with silence, and our blows will be a defense against
Russian blows. Actions always speak louder than words," he said.
Putin announced a temporary Easter truce on Saturday, citing humanitarian
reasons. Ukraine said that it would reciprocate any genuine ceasefire by
Moscow, but voiced skepticism over the Kremlin's intentions. Both sides traded
accusations of violations shortly after. The ceasefire expired at midnight
(2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
Overnight into Monday, the Russian forces fired three missiles at Ukraine's
southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, as well as 96 Shahed drones
targeting other parts of the country, Ukraine's Air Force reported. It said it
downed 42 drones, while 47 others were jammed mid-flight.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian drones sparked a fire at an
"outbuilding" and a "food enterprise," Gov. Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram. No
one was injured in the attack, he said. An unspecified infrastructure object
was damaged in the Cherkasy region overnight, Gov. Ihor Taburets said on
Telegram.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in a statement on Monday, maintained that
Moscow's forces "strictly observed the ceasefire and remained at previously
occupied lines and positions." It accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire
4,900 times, including six attempts at assault operations, 1,404 attacks from
artillery, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and 3,316 drone strikes
targeting Russian troops.
The ministry said that once the ceasefire expired, the Russian military
"resumed the special military operation" in Ukraine.
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