Russia resumed aerial attacks on Ukraine on Monday, marking an abrupt end to a brief Easter truce and dampening hopes of a longer-term ceasefire advocated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The wave of overnight drone and artillery strikes was confirmed by both Moscow and Kyiv, coming just hours after Trump expressed optimism about a potential peace “deal” within the week.
“Military action has resumed,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a state TV interview, blaming Ukraine for ceasefire violations but noting a “fall in activity” during the 30-hour pause.
Ukraine had welcomed the truce and proposed extending it by halting long-range missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days. However, Putin rejected the suggestion, accusing Ukrainian forces of using civilian facilities, such as schools and restaurants, for military purposes.
The fragile truce, announced unexpectedly by Putin on Saturday, ended officially at 9:00 p.m. GMT on Sunday. Despite numerous mutual accusations of violations, it brought a temporary lull in hostilities and no air raid alerts were reported nationwide on Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force reported that it intercepted 42 Russian drones in an overnight barrage targeting the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions. Local military personnel said they appreciated the short reprieve but remained skeptical about future peace efforts.
“It was good to spend time with family in peace,” said Viktor Danylchuk, a Ukrainian military instructor, “but long-term agreements are impossible. The enemy keeps attacking.”
The ceasefire offer followed Trump’s warning that the U.S. might pull back from its mediation efforts if no progress was seen. On Sunday, he reiterated his hope for a breakthrough, though no specifics were given.
Asked about Trump’s statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia “hopes” U.S. efforts will be fruitful, but declined to comment on potential negotiations.
The renewed hostilities and Russia’s skepticism toward civilian-target ceasefires have once again highlighted the challenges in ending the conflict, now in its third year, despite international diplomatic efforts.
