Russia has resumed its attacks on Ukraine, killing at least three people in the southern Kherson region, after a 30-hour Easter ceasefire that Kyiv said Moscow’s armed forces repeatedly violated.
As the attacks continued, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Kyiv was sending a delegation to talks in London on Wednesday with the United States, United Kingdom and France on finding a resolution to the more than three-year-old war with Russia.
“We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” Zelenskiy wrote on the X social media platform.
I spoke with UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer — a good and detailed conversation.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 21, 2025
Already this Wednesday, our representatives will be working in London. Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States — we are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just… pic.twitter.com/cLHexIi5UY
He said that a 30-hour Easter truce proclaimed by Russia, which each side accused the other of violating, showed that it was Russia’s actions “that are prolonging the war”.
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In a statement on Monday, Russia’s military said it was continuing “the special military operation” – President Vladimir Putin’s phrase for his 2022 invasion. Over the weekend, Russian troops “strictly observed” the pause in fighting, it claimed.
The ceasefire expired at midnight on Monday. The announcement means the Kremlin has rejected an offer – made by Zelenskyiy and endorsed on Sunday by the US state department – to extend the truce by 30 days.
Writing on social media, Mr Zelenskyiy said Ukraine was ready for a “complete, full and honest ceasefire”. He suggested both sides refrain from carrying out strikes with missiles and drones against civilian infrastructure.
“The nature of Ukraine’s actions will remain symmetrical: ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defense. Actions always speak louder than words,” he posted on X.
Mr Putin said Moscow would consider the Ukrainian ceasefire proposal, but accused Kyiv of using civilian sites for military purposes.
“We will analyse everything and take the corresponding decisions,” said the Russian president in Moscow.
Russia appears to be deliberately stalling the peace talks, betting that continued battlefield gains will bolster its position and enable it to demand greater concessions at the negotiating table.
Mr Zelenskyiy said Russia had launched numerous attacks using artillery and drones, as well as infantry. The most active part of the Easter front line was near the city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, he said.
Enemy forces continued combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region, he added, where Ukrainian units hold a small amount of territory. Russia has claimed Ukraine broke the ceasefire.
Ukrainian soldiers said their sectors had come under sustained fire. They added that Russian troops used the pause to repair damaged logistical crossings and to prepare for further offensive operations.
“For us, it’s just another day of war, with shelling from various types of weapons and even one attempt to assault our positions,” said Denys Bobkov, from the 37th separate marine brigade on Sunday.
Mr Putin addressed Russia’s missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy – where 35 people, including two children, were killed – for the first time on Monday. He acknowledged that Moscow had hit civilian infrastructure but claimed the site was being used for military purposes. The twin strikes on Sumy were the deadliest incident this year in the war.
The Kremlin’s apparent position is that the White House will not take any punitive measures against it. Since returning to office in January, US president Donald Trump has demanded concessions from Kyiv while putting no similar pressure on Moscow.
Mr Trump has described Mr Zelenskyiy as a dictator and has blamed him for starting the war alongside former US president Joe Biden. Last week Mr Trump downplayed the Russian attack on Sumy, referring to it as “a mistake”.
Leaks suggest the Trump administration is now pushing for a “peace deal” that favours Russia heavily. The deal would include a pause to the conflict along the existing 1,000km front line, recognition that Crimea belongs to Moscow, and a veto on Ukraine’s Nato membership.
There are also unconfirmed reports that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station – which Russia seized in 2022 – would be part of a “neutral” zone.
Mr Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, welcomed the US’s sympathetic stance. Russia has also called for Mr Zelenskyiy’s removal and Ukraine’s “demilitarisation”.
“We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine’s membership in Nato is excluded. Of course, this is something that causes our satisfaction and coincides with our position,” said Mr Peskov.
After a brief period of relative calm over the weekend, Russia resumed its aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities and towns. Ukraine’s air force said 96 drones and three missiles were launched overnight at central and eastern regions.
