Ukraine calls for 30-day ban on long-range drone and missile strikes

Kyiv is proposing a 30-day ceasefire on long-range drone and missile strikes against civilian infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20.

Zelensky’s proposal falls on Easter Sunday, amid a so-called “Easter truce” initiated on April 19 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite Putin’s promise to halt all combat operations over the holiday weekend, Moscow has reportedly violated the temporary ceasefire multiple times.

“Ukraine proposes to abandon any strikes with long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days with the possibility of extension,” Zelensky said via Telegram on April 20.

“If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it only wants to continue doing things that destroy people’s lives and continue the war.”

Front-line reports from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi indicate that Russia violated the Easter truce over 2,000 times, Zelensky said.

Air raid alarms, however, were quiet throughout Easter Sunday, Zelensky said.

“So, this is the format of silence that has been achieved and which is easiest to continue."

‘We know what we are fighting for’ — Zelensky’s Easter address to Ukraine in full

President Volodymyr Zelensky has lauded Ukraine’s “resilience, compassion, and humanity” in his Easter address on April 20, adding the country’s faith has “not faded over 1,152 days of full-scale war.”

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk