Russia ‘violates Putin-declared ceasefire’ with wave of drone strikes on Ukraine – despite Moscow and Kyiv both signalling end of war is near

Russia violated the Easter ceasefire declared by the Kremlin after attacking Ukrainian positions with unmanned aerial vehicles today.

“The Russian side is not complying with the ceasefire,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, communications officer of Ukraine’s 148th Separate Artillery Brigade.

He said Russian forces continued to use drones to hit Ukrainian positions while artillery fire stopped at the junction of the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, where his brigade operates.

Mr Kolesnychenko said Ukrainian forces responded ‘with silence for silence and fire for fire’.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend on Thursday, ordering Russian forces to cease hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to abide by the ceasefire and called it an opportunity to develop peace initiatives. But he warned of a swift military response to any violations.

The latest flare-up comes even as Moscow and Kiev signaled an end to the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s hardline foreign minister made a surprise statement saying that ‘the possibility of a political and diplomatic solution is on the horizon’.

At the same time, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov (40), made it clear that Russia had changed its stance. ‘They all understand that the war must end. That’s why they’re negotiating,” he told Bloomberg. ‘I don’t think it will last long.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 32-hour ceasefire during the Orthodox Easter weekend. Image: Members of the Ukrainian diaspora participate in the blessing of traditional food baskets during Easter Holy Saturday celebrations in Krakow, Poland, April 11, 2026

Hours before the ceasefire was to begin, Russia launched drone attacks across Ukraine. Picture: An image of what happened after the Russian air attack using KAB-250 guided bombs in the city center of Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on April 11, 2026

This comes as new footage emerged showing a Ukrainian drone brigade killing 8,000 Russian soldiers in one month.

The video shows wounded Russian soldiers desperately trying to fend off approaching drones, throwing sticks and attacking them in a futile attempt to survive.

Harrowing scenes show scores of ‘cannon fodder’ fighters ambushed by Ukrainian FPV drones on the battlefield.

Within a month the brigade ‘eliminated 8,005 Russian soldiers’.

Horrifying scenes emerged as both sides began a tense ceasefire today, with Zelensky writing in an X post: ‘Easter should be a time of silence and security. ‘An Easter ceasefire could also be the beginning of a real movement towards peace.’

But he added: ‘We all understand who we are dealing with. Ukraine will abide by the ceasefire and respond in kind.’

Ukraine had previously offered Russia a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure due to the Orthodox Easter holiday.

Previous ceasefire attempts had little effect; both sides accused each other of violations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday called Putin’s move a “humanitarian” gesture but said Moscow remained focused on a comprehensive solution based on its long-standing demands – a key sticking point that has prevented the two sides from reaching a deal.

According to local officials, at least two people died in Russian drone attacks overnight in Odesa, Ukraine, hours before the ceasefire was to begin.

Two more people were injured in the attack on the Black Sea port city, when drones hit a residential area, damaging apartments, houses and a kindergarten.

The site of the Russian air strike in the city of Kramatorsk

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, hours before the proposed Easter ceasefire came into force; 133 of them were shot or stopped.

Chilling footage shows a Ukrainian drone brigade killing 8,000 Russian soldiers in one month

The video shows anguished Russian soldiers desperately trying to fend off approaching drones, throwing sticks at them and attacking them in a futile attempt to survive.

Less than an hour before the ceasefire began, Kherson regional head Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram that the driver of a public trolleybus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson died when his vehicle was hit by a drone.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight, hours before the proposed Easter ceasefire came into force; 133 of them were shot or stopped.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that 99 Ukrainian drones that occupied Russia and Crimea were shot down overnight.

He added that the prisoner exchange on Saturday brought 175 of his soldiers home.

Zelensky confirmed Saturday’s exchange, saying 175 soldiers and seven civilians had returned.

“Most of them have been in captivity since 2022. And they are finally home,” he wrote to X.

Hundreds of relatives, holding photographs of missing soldiers, gathered around ambulances and buses carrying returning prisoners of war in northern Ukraine.

Many called out names and brigade numbers in the hope of finding their loved ones faster.