More attacks despite Easter truce: Kyiv

KYIV: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said Russian forces were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line despite Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a surprise brief Easter truce.

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The so-hear truce would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict.

But just hours after the order was meant to have come into effect, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions, with Mr Zelensky accusing Russia of having maintained its attacks.

"Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and 19 assaults by Russian units," Mr Zelensky said on social media yesterday, citing a report as of 6am local time from Ukrainian commanders-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

He said that in the 24 hours up to midnight Saturday there were 287 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian 290 times".

"Overall, as of Easter morning, we can see that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and assault," observed Ukraine's Mr Zelensky social media post said.

Mr Putin's order to halt all combat over the Easter weekend came after months of efforts by US President Donald Trump to get Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire.

On Friday, Washington even threat ened to withdraw from talks if no pro gress was made.

'GIVE PEACE A CHANCE'