Easter Truce and POW Exchange: A Complex Gesture from Putin Amid Ongoing Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a temporary ceasefire for Easter in Ukraine, as announced by the Kremlin on Saturday. Both Moscow and Kyiv reported that they had exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.

«Considering humanitarian factors, Russia is instituting an Easter ceasefire starting at 6:00 p.m. [Moscow time] today and lasting until midnight between Sunday and Monday. I am instructing all combat actions to cease during this timeframe,» Putin stated during a televised discussion with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

«However, our forces must remain prepared to react to any breaches of the ceasefire or provocations from the adversary, as well as to any aggressive actions,» the Russian leader emphasized.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially dismissed the ceasefire, asserting that Russian forces were launching air assaults on Ukraine just as the proposed pause was meant to commence.

«In terms of yet another attempt by Putin to manipulate with human lives – at this moment, air raid alerts are sounding across Ukraine. At 5:15 p.m., we detected Russian attack drones in our airspace,» Zelensky posted on X. «The presence of Shahed drones in our skies illustrates Putin’s true stance toward Easter and human life.»

Nevertheless, later on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader seemed to indicate that he would be open to supporting Russia’s temporary ceasefire if it could lead to a more comprehensive and unconditional truce between the countries, akin to what the United States had suggested in March.

«If a full ceasefire is genuinely established, Ukraine is willing to propose extending it beyond the Easter period of April 20. This would reveal Russia’s true motives,» Zelensky stated. «Thirty hours may make headlines, but it’s insufficient for building real trust. Thirty days could provide an opportunity for peace.»

«As of now, based on the Commander-in-Chief’s reports, Russian offensive operations are ongoing in several frontline areas, and artillery fire from Russia has not diminished,» he added.

The governor of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine reported numerous Russian drone strikes following the announcement of the Easter ceasefire, stating, «Unfortunately, we do not observe any pause. Shelling persists, and civilians are once again under fire.»

A Russian diplomat, speaking anonymously to The Moscow Times, suggested that the Kremlin’s choice to declare a truce probably aimed at several objectives beyond what Putin characterized as a «humanitarian» act.

«Our president is effectively achieving multiple goals,» the diplomat mentioned. «This serves as a signal to Trump, who anticipates rapid moves towards ending the conflict. It also demonstrates our commitment to Christian values.»

«Moreover, it attempts to portray President Zelensky as an unstable negotiating counterpart in the eyes of the American president,» the diplomat added.

Shortly after Moscow announced the Easter ceasefire, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed compliance with Putin’s order, noting that the truce would be upheld by the Russian Joint Group of Forces, as long as it was reciprocated by Kyiv.

The Defense Ministry further mentioned that they had exchanged 246 Ukrainian prisoners of war for an equal number of captured Russian soldiers. «As a gesture of goodwill,» an additional 31 injured Ukrainian POWs were swapped for 15 injured Russian soldiers, according to the ministry.

Zelensky later verified the prisoner exchange, stating that 277 Ukrainian servicemen had been freed. He shared photos and a video of the soldiers’ return from captivity.

During Saturday’s televised meeting at the Kremlin, Gerasimov informed Putin that all six Russian military groupings were currently making progress along 11 fronts in eastern and southern Ukraine.

He claimed that 99.5% of the Kursk region had been «liberated,» adding that Russian forces continued their counteroffensive efforts to rid the border area of Ukrainian troops.

«The majority of the territory in the [Kursk] region, where the invasion occurred, has now been liberated, covering 1,260 square kilometers,» Gerasimov declared.

Earlier in the day, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that its forces had captured the second-to-last village in the Kursk region still occupied by Ukrainian forces, following a surprise attack in the vital border town of Sudzha just weeks earlier.

While not directly addressing the Russian military’s claims, Zelensky remarked that his top commander had informed him that Ukrainian forces still retained control over certain areas of the border region.

«Today, our forces continued operations within the Kursk region and are maintaining their positions. In the Belgorod region, our troops have advanced, expanding our control,» he posted on X.

The announcement of Russia’s Easter ceasefire and the prisoner exchange occurred one day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned he might withdraw from negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine unless both Moscow and Kyiv demonstrated a willingness to make progress in the days ahead.

On Friday, the Kremlin indicated that a 30-day suspension of strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure—the only significant concession Trump had managed to secure from Moscow—had concluded.

Reporting by Pyotr Kozlov contributed to this story.