Russia recommences ‘Special Military Operation’ following expiration of 30-hour Easter truce, Moscow confirms

April 21, 2025 TruthUSA

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy instructs military to respond in kind to renewed Russian attacks.

Russian forces have resumed military operations against Ukraine after the 30-hour Easter cease-fire expired on April 21, unilaterally announced by Moscow to mark the holiday.

“With the end of the truce, the Russian Armed Forces continued their special military operation,” stated Moscow’s defense ministry, referring to the ongoing invasion of eastern Ukraine.

Referring to a statement cited by Russia’s TASS news agency, the ministry claimed that Russian forces strictly followed the Easter cease-fire from 6:00 p.m. on April 19 to midnight on April 20 (Moscow time).

Following the truce expiration, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched missiles and drones into Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions.

Most incoming drones were successfully neutralized by air defense batteries, according to the Ukrainian air force.

No deaths, injuries, or significant material damage have been reported due to the renewed Russian attacks, Ukrainian officials confirmed.

Authorities in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, reported Russian missile strikes in the city, with no significant material damage.

After the cease-fire ended, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directed the military to respond in kind to the fresh Russian attacks.

Zelenskyy stated on social media that Ukraine’s actions will mirror Russian actions, with a cease-fire being met with cease-fire and Russian strikes being met with a defense response.

He emphasized, “Actions always speak louder than words.”

Prior to this, Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukrainian forces reported nearly 3,000 truce violations by Russia during the 30-hour cease-fire, mostly near the frontline city of Pokrovsk through artillery strikes and infantry assaults.

Moscow countered by claiming that Ukrainian forces had attacked Russian frontline positions in the eastern Donetsk region despite the cease-fire on April 20 evening.

During the cease-fire, Ukrainian forces launched numerous drones and munitions into Russian border regions, resulting in civilian casualties, injuries, and damage to civilian objects, according to TASS.

Claims from both sides of the conflict, which is now in its third year, could not be independently verified by The Epoch Times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in Moscow on April 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pooln/AFP via Getty Images) — Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in Moscow on April 19, 2025. Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pooln/AFP via Getty Images

War Could End This Week: Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the Easter truce during a meeting with Valery Gerasimov, chief of staff of the Russian military, a day before Easter on April 19.

This was the second unilateral cease-fire declared by Russia since 2022, when the invasion of eastern Ukraine took place.

In 2023, Putin announced a 36-hour unilateral cease-fire for the Christmas holiday on Jan. 7, which is observed by the Russian Orthodox Church.

On April 19, U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the United States might cease peace efforts without clear progress.

The U.S. State Department expressed hope on April 20 that Russia might extend the Easter cease-fire further.

Trump, who was reelected with a promise to end the conflict, expressed hope on the same day for a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine “this week.”

He emphasized, in all caps, “Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune,” on his Truth Social messaging platform.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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