Russia Resumes Attacks Post-Easter Truce, Killing Three in Kherson

On April 21, 2025, Russian forces resumed hostilities hours after the expiration of a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire, launching attacks that killed at least three people in Ukraine’s Kherson region, according to Ukrainian officials. The truce, announced by President Vladimir Putin, was marred by mutual accusations of violations, with Kyiv reporting nearly 3,000 Russian strikes and Moscow claiming Ukraine launched hundreds of drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the ceasefire as a ploy, highlighting ongoing air raid alerts. The renewed violence, including artillery fire and drone assaults, underscores Russia’s apparent unwillingness to halt its aggression despite U.S.-led peace talks. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio signals the U.S. may soon abandon mediation efforts, the Kherson attack raises fears that Moscow is intensifying its campaign to pressure Kyiv into conceding territory.

Ukraine Faces Mounting Pressure as U.S. Signals Exit from Peace Talks

As Russia intensified attacks following the Easter truce’s collapse on April 21, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. could abandon efforts to broker peace within days unless progress is made, according to Al Jazeera. The statement came amid reports of Russian strikes killing civilians in Kherson and ongoing drone assaults on Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian negotiators, meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris, resisted Trump administration proposals to cede territory or repay U.S. aid through mineral deals, with Zelenskyy emphasizing the need for security guarantees. The U.S. shift toward neutrality, coupled with Russia’s unrelenting bombardments, has alarmed Kyiv and European allies, who fear a partitioned Ukraine if talks fail. The growing divide highlights the challenges of achieving a lasting ceasefire without addressing Russia’s territorial ambitions.

Putin says that Moscow will analyse the Easter truce

Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow needs to analyse the results of the so-called "Easter truce." Speaking on April 21, he said that Russia has always supported ceasefires, which is why it initiated the Easter truce in the first place.

Putin claimed that there had been a decrease in Ukraine’s combat activity during this period, but added that more than 5,000 attacks had still been recorded. This comes despite reports from Ukraine’s General Staff indicating that it was actually Russian forces who repeatedly violated the ceasefire—nearly 3,000 times on April 20 alone.

He also remarked that it would be necessary to investigate Ukraine’s proposal to refrain from striking civilian targets.