Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares for a plenary meeting at a summit held at Lancaster House in central London on March 2, 2025. Justin Tallis, AFP/File

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine -- Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said Russian forces were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line despite Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a surprise but brief Easter truce.

The 30-hour 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 Zelensky accusing Russia of having maintained its attacks.

"Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units," Zelensky said on social media, citing a report as of 6:00 am (0300 GMT) from Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

He said that in the six hours up to midnight (2100 GMT) Saturday, there were "387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces," with drones "used by Russians 290 times". "Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state 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 inflict losses on Ukraine," Zelensky's post said.

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 threatened to withdraw from talks if no progress was made.

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- 'Give peace a chance' -

"Today from 1800 (1500 GMT Saturday) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said in televised comments during a meeting with the Russian chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov.

Zelensky responded by saying Ukraine would follow suit, and proposed extending the truce beyond Sunday, despite accusing Russia of having already broken its promises.

"Russia must fully comply with the conditions of the ceasefire. Ukraine’s proposal to implement and extend the ceasefire for 30 days after midnight tonight remains on the table," Zelensky's post said Sunday.

Earlier he suggested that "30 days could give peace a chance" -- while pointing out that Putin had already rejected a proposed 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire.

Putin had said the truce for the Easter holiday celebrated on Sunday was motivated by "humanitarian reasons".

While he expected Ukraine to comply, he said that Russian troops "must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy".

Putin said the latest truce proposal would show "how sincere is the Kyiv's regime's readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks".

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Russia launched its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.

"For millions of Ukrainians, Easter is one of the most important holidays. And millions of Ukrainians will go to church," said Zelensky in his Saturday evening address.

"Over the years of this full-scale war, Russian attacks have destroyed or damaged more than 600 churches, prayer houses and places of worship."

Soldiers in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk close to the front line earlier greeted the truce announcement with skepticism.

Putin "might do it to give some hope or to show his humanity," said Dmitry, a 40-year-old soldier. "But either way, of course, we don't trust (Russia)."

Soldier Vladislav, 22, added: "I feel like it's going to start again after a while, and it's going to go on and on."

On the streets of Moscow, Yevgeny Pavlov, 58, did not think Russia should give Ukraine a breather.

"There is no need to give them respite. If we press, it means we should press to the end," he told AFP.

On Saturday, Ukraine and Russia said they had each returned 246 soldiers being held as prisoners of war, in a swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

Zelensky said the total number of returned POWs now stood at 4,552.

The UAE's foreign ministry said 31 wounded Ukrainians and 15 wounded Russians were also exchanged.

The UAE said it was committed to "finding a peaceful solution" to the conflict and "mitigating the humanitarian impacts".

Russia said it had retaken the penultimate village still under Ukrainian control in its Kursk frontier region.

Kyiv had hoped to use its hold on the region as a bargaining chip in the talks.

© Agence France-Presse