As part of the Easter truce, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered Russian forces to halt all actions on the fronts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signalled support for a ceasefire for Orthodox Easter.
The ceasefire observed for Sunday’s Orthodox Easter celebrations coincides with a broader stalemate in US-led diplomatic efforts. Mediation to resolve the four-year conflict has effectively stalled as hostilities in Iran and the wider Middle East continue to complicate the path toward a permanent settlement.
Putin’s announcement was similar to a 30-hour ceasefire he ordered last year; however, each side accused the other of violating it.
“By the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief…V.V. Putin, in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter (the Resurrection of Christ), a ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on 11 April until the end of the day on 12 April 2026,” the Kremlin said, adding that it expected “the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation.”
Orthodox Easter is the most important event in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it shares the core theological meaning with Western Easter, the two often fall on different dates and involve distinct traditions.
The most significant reason for the date difference is the calendar used. Western Easter uses the Gregorian calendar (the standard civil calendar), while Orthodox Easter uses the Julian calendar, an older system. Because the Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian, and both traditions apply slightly different rules for the spring equinox and the full moon, Orthodox Easter usually falls one to five weeks after Western Easter.
A key requirement for Orthodox Easter, not strictly followed in the West, is that it must take place after the Jewish holiday of Passover, reflecting the biblical sequence of events. If the calculated date for Orthodox Easter falls before or during Passover, the Orthodox Church moves the celebration to the following Sunday.
Ukraine has said it has repeatedly proposed a halt to fighting for Orthodox Easter. “People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS that Putin’s ceasefire proposal had not been discussed in advance with the United States.
