❗️Putin orders a surprise stop to all hostilities for 3 days in honour of Easter.

⚡️The Russian President says he "assumes" the Kiev regime will do the same.

@AussieCossack

Details following and Ukraine reaction below:

☦️🇺🇦Putin Declares Easter Truce — Kremlin

▪️During the meeting in the Kremlin, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief heard a report from the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov on the situation on the line of combat contact and reported that the Russian side will cease all military operations from 18:00 on April 19 until 00:00 on April 21.

➖" Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to cease for this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example."

❗️At the same time, our troops must be prepared to repel possible violations of the ceasefire and provocations from the enemy, any of his aggressive actions.

▪️Russia has always been ready for negotiations and welcomes the desire of the United States, China and other countries for a fair settlement in Ukraine.

▪️Kiev has violated the moratorium on strikes on energy facilities more than 100 times.

▪️The situation in the special operation zone is favorable for Russia.

The main points from Gerasimov’s report to Putin:

▪️All six troop groups in the SMO zone are conducting an offensive in 11 directions.

▪️99.5% of Kursk region has been liberated.

▪️The cleanup of the monastery in Gornal is completed.

▪️Attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to enter the Belgorod region were prevented.

☦️🇺🇦 The ceasefire is being introduced for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian military, provided that it is mutually observed by the Kiev regime, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Adding:  NarcoFuhrer spoke about the Easter Truce…Btw Gerans will arrive on their designated targets by Moscow 18:00 time.

18:00 has arrived. The Easter truce declared by Putin has come into effect.

Zelensky did not respond to this with consent. There were no reports that Ukrainian troops were ordered to cease fire.

Consequently, Kiev did not support the announcement of a ceasefire.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the ceasefire would only be in effect if Ukraine observed it.

Adding: 

☦️Western media called Russia's announcement of an Easter truce a diplomatic victory for Putin and a way to show openness to peace talks.

Mirror: The publication calls the Easter truce "sensational".

Handelsblatt: The reasons for this Russian decision are "initially unclear".

Guardian: The newspaper writes about Putin's "unexpected move", echoed by Dagbladet .

Wall Street Journal: Analysts say the offer of a short-term truce is an easy diplomatic victory for Putin.

New York Times: The truce appears to be intended to show that Moscow is "still open to peace talks."

Washington Post: Russia's announcement comes amid "an apparent decline in interest" from the Trump administration in "protracted peace talks."

Sun: Russia's announcement will be "seen as a positive step towards much-needed peace in Eastern Europe".

Daily Mail: The ceasefire announcement came amid a major prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kiev.

Zelensky's reply finally, partial typed:

If a complete ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond the Easter day of April 20. That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions — because 30 hours is enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures. Thirty days could give peace a chance.

https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1913657947311210556?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet