Air raid alerts were triggered across eastern Ukraine early April 21, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s one-day Easter ceasefire expired.
Explosions were reported in Mykolaiv, and Ukrainian authorities issued warnings for Kyiv and other eastern regions as attacks resumed, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly dismissed Putin's ceasefire declaration, calling it a “PR” move, with Russian forces continuing drone and artillery strikes on the frontline throughout April 20. "There were no other commands," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, confirming the ceasefire would not be extended.
Blasts rocked Mykolaiv early April 21, while Dnipropetrovsk governor Sergiy Lysak reported drone strikes, including damage to a home and a fire at a food establishment. No injuries have been reported so far.
Ukrainian forces documented nearly 3,000 violations of Russia’s ceasefire, with significant shelling in Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, air raid alerts were also issued for Russia’s Voronezh region, bordering Ukraine.
On the diplomatic front, former US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a potential peace deal this week, despite ongoing tensions. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has increasingly expressed frustration with the US’s handling of the war, particularly after Fox News aired footage of Putin’s Easter service, erroneously labelling Kyiv as part of Russia. Zelenskyy called for a stronger focus on pressuring Moscow for a genuine ceasefire.
“If this was a mistake rather than a deliberate political statement, there should be an apology and an investigation into who made the mistake,” said Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
Source: caliber.az
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