Putin declares Easter truce: What we know
Putin suddenly recalled the Easter truce after weeks of refusals.
Russian dictator Putin declares "Easter truce" / © Associated Press
Russian dictator Putin has announced that he ordered his frontline troops to observe a truce during the Easter holiday.
Russian propaganda outlets are reporting the dictator's statement.
"Given the approaching Orthodox holiday of Easter (the Resurrection of Christ), a truce is declared from 16:00 on April 11 until the end of April 12, 2026," propagandists relayed the text of Putin’s decree.
The dictator stated that he "expects the Ukrainian side to follow Russia’s example with the Easter truce." Notably, it was Ukraine that initially proposed the idea of an Easter ceasefire—a proposal the Kremlin had rejected until now.
Putin also instructed the occupiers to "halt hostilities during the truce period but remain ready to respond." This specific wording allows the Russian army to continue combat operations by claiming that Ukraine is allegedly ignoring the ceasefire—a tactic seen in previous years.
The Ukrainian side has not yet commented on the announcement.