Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously signalled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ceasefire with Ukraine for the duration of the Orthodox Easter holidays, the Kremlin said on Thursday night, after Kyiv also proposed a pause in hostilities.
"By the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief...V.V. Putin, in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter (the Resurrection of Christ), a ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026," the Kremlin's statement said.
“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,” it said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously signalled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has repeatedly stated its readiness for symmetrical steps. "We proposed a ceasefire this year for the duration of the Easter holidays and will act accordingly. People need an Easter without threats and real progress toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes even after Easter," he wrote on X.
Easter falls on 12 April according to the Julian calendar followed by Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia.
Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it.
With US-led talks making no progress on key issues, and Washington’s attention switching to the Middle East conflict, Russian and Ukrainian armies remain locked in battle on the roughly 1,250-kilometre (800-mile) front line.
Last year, Moscow effectively rejected a 30-day unconditional truce proposed by the US and Ukraine as a step toward peace, insisting instead on a comprehensive settlement, but Moscow has announced several short, unilateral ceasefires.
