Russia launches missiles, drones as Easter ceasefire ends: Ukraine

Russia launched missiles and drones targeting Ukraine early on April 21, waking up Kyiv and the eastern half of the country, hours after the one-day Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin came to an end.

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There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage from the attacks, regional Ukrainian officials said on social media.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 96 drones and three missiles in overnight attacks on the country, causing damage in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions.

Air defence units shot down 42 Russian drones, and another 47 drones were redirected by electronic warfare.

Both Kyiv and Moscow had accused each other of thousands of attacks that violated the truce that the Kremlin indicated on April 20 would not be extended.

Washington said it would welcome an extension of the truce, and President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated several times Ukraine's willingness to pause strikes for 30 days in the war.