Russia «responds» to Easter ceasefire proposal — Zelenskyy

More than 700 Russian strike drones that targeted civilian sites across various regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, April 1, became Moscow’s response to Ukraine’s proposal for an Easter truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in his evening address.

He said air raid alerts due to a mass «Shahed» drone attack were issued in most regions of Ukraine, adding that around 90% of targets were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses.

«Unfortunately, there were strikes in the Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, as well as in other areas. Restoration work is ongoing wherever necessary, ” the president said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that energy infrastructure was among the main targets. In Lutsk, food warehouses and a Nova Poshta terminal were damaged, while residential buildings were also hit in the Poltava region and other areas.

«This is effectively Russia’s response to our proposal for a ceasefire during the Easter holidays. Ukraine openly made such a proposal to Russia. Russia is responding with „Shahed“ drones and continues its terrorist operations against our energy sector and infrastructure, ” he said.

The Ukrainian president also said he had discussed the issue earlier in the day with representatives of the U.S. president, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Senator Lindsey Graham and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also joined the conversation.

«We need different signals, and silence during Easter could become exactly the signal that tells everyone diplomacy can succeed. Ukraine is doing everything to support efforts aimed at peace, ” Zelenskyy added.