These are the key events on day 1,152 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here is where things stand on Monday, 21 April:
Fighting
- At least three blasts were heard in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine during an Easter ceasefire declared by Moscow, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing local “operative services.”
- Ukraine’s forces reported nearly 3,000 violations of Russia’s own ceasefire pledge, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv’s forces were instructed to mirror the Russian Army’s actions.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire declared by the Kremlin more than a thousand times, with Ukrainian forces allegedly shooting at Russian positions 444 times and contributing to over 900 Ukrainian drone attacks during the period.
- The ministry also said Moscow took control of the village of Novomykhailivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, before the Easter ceasefire, a claim that Ukraine’s authorities have yet to comment on.
Oil and gas
- Ukraine may need to import up to 6.3 billion cubic metres of gas for the 2025-26 winter season due to record low levels of reserves caused by war-related damage to some facilities, according to former head of Kyiv’s gas transit operator, Sergiy Makogon.
Ceasefire
- Zelenskyy stated that the Russian Army attempted to “advance and inflict losses” on Kyiv’s army overnight, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of an Easter ceasefire. “Either Putin does not have full control over his army or the situation in Russia is that they have no intention of making a genuine move towards ending the war,” Zelenskyy said.
- The United States Department of State said it would welcome an extension of the Easter ceasefire, although the Kremlin said there was no order for this extension.
- Following Russia’s statement that there were no orders to extend the ceasefire, Zelenskyy proposed suspending drone, cruise missile, and rocket attacks on civilian targets for at least 30 days.
