Putin announces Orthodox Easter cease-fire in Ukraine
Metropolitan Epiphanius I, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, sprinkles holy water on a Ukrainian serviceman next to Easter cakes which are to be transferred to servicemen fighting on the frontline amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on the day of a ceremony to bless Easter cakes at St Michael's Cathedral before Orthodox Easter, in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 9, 2026. (Reuters Photo)


Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a 32-hour cease-fire in Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter period, ordering troops to halt operations from Saturday evening through Sunday.

Putin’s decree, released by the Kremlin, orders Russian forces to observe a ceasefire starting on 4 p.m. Saturday and lasting until the end of Sunday.

Putin’s move follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal earlier this week to observe a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter.

He said he made the offer through the United States, which has been mediating talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as the conflict stretches into a fifth year.