Russian President Putin announced on the 9th that Russian forces will temporarily cease fire during Orthodox Easter. Ukrainian President Zelensky agreed to abide by this arrangement.
Easter is the most important holiday in the Orthodox church. This year, Orthodox Easter falls on April 12.
The Kremlin released a statement on the same day, saying that, according to a decision by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Russian troops will implement a ceasefire from 16:00 on April 11, 2026, to 24:00 on April 12, during the upcoming Orthodox Easter.
Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "People need an Easter without threats, and a real step toward peace. After Easter, Russia will have another opportunity not to resume attacks."
On April 19 last year, Putin announced that Russian forces would temporarily cease fire for 30 hours during Orthodox Easter on April 20.