Russia resumes aerial attacks on Ukraine after Easter ceasefire ends

Russian drone and missile strikes hit Ukrainian regions as fragile Easter truce collapses amid hopes of a broader deal.

A view of damaged buildings in the town of Lyman during Easter celebrations in Lyman, Ukraine, on April 20, 2025. Photo by Jose Colon/Anadolu

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Russia resumed its aerial attacks on Ukraine early Monday, launching a fresh wave of drone and missile strikes just hours after the end of a brief 30-hour Easter ceasefire. The renewed offensive has raised doubts over hopes for a more lasting truce, a goal recently pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump and echoed by Chinese diplomatic channels.

According to both Moscow and Kyiv, hostilities resumed shortly after the fragile ceasefire concluded at midnight local time (2100 GMT) on Sunday. Ukrainian officials reported incoming attacks in several regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.

The return of violence confirms that despite international pressure and fleeting periods of relative calm, the conflict remains volatile and far from resolution.

Russian forces launch overnight aerial strikes

Russia's Ministry of Defence confirmed on Monday that the "special military operation" had resumed. In a public statement, the Russian military noted, "With the end of the ceasefire, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to conduct the special military operation."

In the early hours of Monday morning, Ukraine's air force reported downing 42 Russian attack drones. The drones were launched starting at 2:00 am local time (2300 GMT Sunday), aimed primarily at eastern regions.

In Dnipropetrovsk, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said that several drones struck local infrastructure. One home was damaged, and a fire broke out at a food business. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, similar reports came from the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, where missiles and drones targeted civilian and military areas.

Fragile truce ends amid mutual accusations

The Easter ceasefire, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, was framed as a humanitarian gesture. However, both sides accused one another of violating the truce almost immediately.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that the brief ceasefire had reduced aerial bombardment but claimed Russia continued ground offensives. He alleged that Russian troops carried out hundreds of raids along the front line during the truce window.

Russia responded with its own accusations. Its defense ministry claimed that Ukrainian forces launched multiple drone and shell attacks during the truce, resulting in civilian casualties. Nonetheless, both countries acknowledged a temporary reduction in combat intensity.

Reports from AFP journalists stationed in eastern Ukraine noted an unusual quiet on Sunday, with noticeably fewer explosions and no visible plumes of smoke on the horizon. The brief lull was welcomed by war-weary civilians but was never expected to hold without broader commitments.

Trump's role and dashed hopes for a wider ceasefire

The sudden return of hostilities has cast a shadow over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic efforts. On Friday, Trump warned that the U.S. would abandon its push to end the war unless concrete progress was made toward a peace agreement. By Sunday, he posted on his Truth Social platform, "Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week."

Ukraine reportedly agreed to a ceasefire plan proposed by the U.S., but Russia declined. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded cautiously to Trump’s Sunday remarks, stating that Moscow "hopes" U.S. efforts "will yield results," without specifying any concrete expectations for negotiations.

Trump’s public optimism, though, now seems disconnected from the escalating military reality on the ground. The renewed airstrikes suggest that both Moscow and Kyiv remain locked in a cycle of offense and retaliation, despite fleeting diplomatic overtures.

China voices cautious support for peace efforts

China, a nation with growing influence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, issued a measured statement in favor of ending the fighting. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, "China is pleased to see all efforts that lead to a ceasefire, which is a necessary step towards peace."

Beijing urged all parties to prioritize dialogue over violence. "We hope that all parties concerned will continue to resolve the crisis through dialogue and negotiations," Guo added.

Despite China’s diplomatic tone, tensions between Kyiv and Beijing have grown. Last week, Ukrainian officials accused China of supplying arms to Russia and claimed that at least 155 Chinese nationals had been recruited to fight on Russia’s side. Beijing denied both accusations, stating that Chinese citizens had not been recruited en masse and discouraging participation in armed conflict.

Ukrainian proposals for limited ceasefire ignored

President Zelensky, facing increasing destruction from drone and missile attacks, has advocated for both full and partial ceasefire options. Most recently, he proposed a more limited 30-day truce focused on halting long-range drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Putin rejected the offer following a phone call with Trump last month, maintaining a hardened stance that suggests Moscow remains skeptical of incremental agreements without broader political concessions.

Ukraine continues to push for temporary pauses in fighting to alleviate civilian suffering, especially in hard-hit areas in the east and south. But without reciprocal commitments from Russia, such proposals appear unlikely to succeed.

A volatile future despite fleeting truces

The return of Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, just hours after a brief Easter truce, is a stark reminder of how tenuous peace efforts remain. The incident also underscores the limits of external pressure, even from global powers like the United States and China, when both warring nations remain entrenched in their objectives.

As the conflict enters its third year, the international community is once again faced with a familiar dilemma—how to broker a lasting peace in a war where both sides remain committed to their military goals. Until mutual trust is re-established and concrete agreements are enforced, brief ceasefires like the recent 30-hour truce are unlikely to lead to long-term de-escalation.

Russia’s decision to resume aerial attacks on Ukraine marks another grim chapter in a war that continues to devastate lives and upend regional stability. The coming weeks will determine whether diplomacy regains momentum—or whether the battlefield remains the dominant forum for negotiations.