Russia began to increase shelling and use of drones in the morning, – Zelensky

The Russian army is conducting its most active actions this morning in two directions.

Starting at 10 a.m., there has been an increase in the number of Russian shelling and the enemy’s use of kamikaze drones.

This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a report by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi on the situation on the front as of 12:00 Easter.

“Despite the fact that Ukraine declared the mirror nature of its actions in response to Russia, starting from 10 am, there has been an increase in the number of Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones by the occupier – only in FPV there is a twofold increase from the side of the Russian army,” the head of state noted.

According to him, the Russian army is conducting the most active actions this morning in the Pokrovsky and Seversky directions. Zelensky added that the use of Russian heavy weapons continues in these and some other parts of the front.

“From 00:00 to 12:00 of this day, 26 Russian assault operations have already taken place. We are recording every violation by Russia of their own promise of complete silence for the entire Easter period and are ready to provide our partners with relevant information. In fact, either Putin does not fully control his army, or the situation proves that they in Russia do not have the goal of a real movement to end the war and they only need profitable PR in the media. It’s good that at least there were no air alarms,” the president emphasized.

Putin’s Easter Truce

On April 19, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin declared an Easter truce in the war against Ukraine. The Kremlin said that hostilities would cease from 6:00 p.m. on April 19 until midnight on April 21.

They added that they expect the same step from Ukraine.

Zelensky said that if complete silence really reigns on the front, Ukraine proposes to extend it beyond the Easter period on April 20. “If Russia is suddenly ready to really join the format of complete and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act in a mirror image – as it will be on the Russian side. Silence in response to silence, blows to protect against blows,” the president said yesterday.

In the morning, the president noted that Russia is violating the “Easter truce” it declared, and shelling continues. Zelensky stressed that the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “respond as the enemy deserves in specific combat circumstances.”

(C)UNIAN 2025