Russia-Ukraine Easter ceasefire violations and prisoner exchanges in 2026
Consensus Summary
In April 2026, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire starting April 12 at 4pm local time, following Ukraine’s proposal relayed through the US. Both sides exchanged 175 prisoners of war each, with Ukraine also freeing seven civilians and Russia returning seven civilians from the Kursk region. Despite the truce, both sides accused each other of widespread violations, with Ukraine reporting 469 incidents including drone strikes and shelling, while Russia claimed 1,971 violations by Ukraine. The ceasefire saw limited compliance, with drone attacks continuing in some areas, and both sides resumed hostilities after its expiration. The prisoner exchange, mediated by the UAE, marked one of the few positive outcomes amid stalled US-brokered peace talks. Meanwhile, Hungary’s election victory by Peter Magyar raised hopes of unblocking a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine, potentially shifting regional dynamics. Vladimir Putin attended Easter services in Moscow, framing the ceasefire as a humanitarian gesture, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged a longer truce as a step toward peace.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire was declared by Russia starting 4pm Saturday, April 12, 2026, until the end of Sunday, April 13, 2026.
- Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 prisoners of war each on April 12, 2026, with Ukraine also freeing 7 civilians and Russia returning 7 civilians from Kursk region.
- Ukrainian military reported 469 ceasefire violations by Russia on April 12, 2026, including 22 assault actions, 153 shelling attacks, 19 strikes by attack drones, and 275 strikes by FPV drones.
- Russia’s defence ministry reported 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukraine during the truce, including drone strikes, according to a statement on April 13, 2026.
- Vladimir Putin attended Easter services at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral on April 12, 2026, and described Easter as the ‘triumph of love, good and justice’ in his greeting.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure over Easter, relayed through the US, and confirmed Ukraine’s adherence to the ceasefire.
- Ukrainian forces conducted a prisoner exchange in northern Ukraine, with hundreds of relatives greeting returnees, including some held since 2022.
- The United Arab Emirates mediated the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
- Hungary’s election on April 13, 2026, resulted in a victory for Peter Magyar’s TISZA party, potentially unblocking a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine.
- Russia’s Belgorod region reported two civilian deaths from a Ukrainian drone attack during the ceasefire on April 12, 2026.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Russian governor Alexander Khinshtein accused Ukraine of attacking a gas station in Lgov, Kursk region, injuring three people, including a baby, on April 12, 2026.
- Ukraine’s military reported Russia carried out 57 airstrikes, dropped 182 guided aerial bombs, deployed 3,928 drones, and conducted 2,454 shelling attacks on populated areas and troops on April 12, 2026.
- Russian defence ministry said Ukraine targeted Russia with 160 drones overnight before the ceasefire, with 133 shot down or intercepted.
- Russian forces still need to take control of 17-18% of Ukraine’s disputed Donetsk region, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on April 13, 2026.
- Ukrainian air force reported Russia targeted Ukraine with 160 drones overnight before the ceasefire, with 133 shot down or intercepted.
- Russian journalist Oleg Roldugin from Novaya Gazeta was placed in pre-trial detention on April 11, 2026, for alleged corruption reporting.
- Estonia will refrain from detaining Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ vessels in the Baltic Sea due to fears of military retaliation.
- Britain and allies stepped up efforts to detain Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea.
- US Treasury extended a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products, expiring April 11, 2026.
- Putin’s decree explicitly stated Russian troops should be prepared to counter ‘any possible provocations by the enemy’ during the ceasefire.
- Zelenskyy proposed a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure through the US, which was mediating talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
- The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine blessed Easter cakes to be sent to Ukrainian servicemen on the frontline.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, ‘People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace,’ emphasizing the need for a lasting ceasefire.
- Ukrainian officials described Putin’s ceasefire as a ‘PR stunt’ to equate Russia with the US amid the Iran war.
- Recent escalations included a deadly drone attack on a bus in Nikopol and a missile strike killing a woman in Zhytomyr before the ceasefire.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian reports Ukraine recorded 469 ceasefire violations on April 12, 2026, while Russia’s defence ministry reported 1,971 violations by Ukraine, with no overlap in specific counts.
- The Guardian states Russia conducted 57 airstrikes and dropped 182 guided aerial bombs during the ceasefire, but Russia’s defence ministry did not provide comparable figures.
- Ukraine’s military officer Serhii Kolesnychenko told AP that Russian forces continued drone strikes during the ceasefire, while the Ukrainian general staff later reported no long-range drone or missile use during the truce.
- The Guardian reports Russia’s Belgorod region had two civilian deaths from a Ukrainian drone attack, but no other source confirms this specific casualty figure.
- The ABC states Zelenskyy proposed a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure through the US, while the Guardian does not explicitly mention this detail in the same context.
Source Articles
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Ukraine war briefing: doubts linger in Kyiv over Moscow’s promise to uphold Orthodox Easter ceasefire
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Vladimir Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine
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Ukraine war briefing: Easter truce expires as both sides accuse the other of violations
Ukraine records more than 2,000 violations, Russia claims 1,900. Zelenskyy congratulates Hungary’s Peter Magyar. What we know on day 1,510 A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired on Monday , with both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids. The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday. Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which Russian
Russian drone attacks persist despite Kremlin’s Easter ceasefire, Ukrainian forces say
Ukraine reports 469 violations of Putin’s 32-hour ceasefire, hours after deadly drone attacks on Odesa and Kherson Russia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday, a Ukrainian military officer said. “The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade. Continue reading...
Russia and Ukraine agree to two-day Orthodox Easter ceasefire
"People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
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