Hopes for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine were dashed early Monday as Russia launched a fresh wave of aerial assaults just hours after the expiration of a short-lived Easter truce. The fragile 30-hour halt in hostilities, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on humanitarian grounds, ended at midnight local time, giving way to renewed drone and missile strikes across several Ukrainian regions.
Ukrainian officials reported attacks on Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kherson, with explosions damaging infrastructure and triggering fires. Sergiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk, confirmed drone strikes in the region, stating that while there were no reported casualties, a private home and a food establishment sustained damage.
Ukraine’s air force said it had intercepted and destroyed 42 Russian attack drones during an overnight barrage that began around 2am local time. Meanwhile, Moscow confirmed it had resumed its so-called “special military operation” following the truce, accusing Ukraine of continuing frontline assaults throughout the ceasefire period.
“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to conduct the special military operation,” the Russian military said in a statement. It also claimed to have repelled multiple Ukrainian attacks during the truce, while alleging civilian casualties from Ukrainian shelling.
The renewed hostilities come shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow might be reached within days. “Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. However, the re-escalation of violence casts doubt on those prospects.
Trump had previously proposed a ceasefire plan, which Ukraine reportedly accepted. Russia, however, declined the terms, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has since offered a revised proposal focused on halting long-range drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days. Putin has yet to respond to the updated offer.
China, which has maintained a cautious diplomatic stance throughout the conflict, welcomed any move towards de-escalation. “China is pleased to see all efforts that lead to a ceasefire,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, calling for continued dialogue and negotiation.
Tensions between Ukraine and China have also risen in recent days. Kyiv has accused Beijing of supplying weapons to Russia and claimed that over 150 Chinese nationals had joined Russian forces — allegations China has firmly denied.
As violence resumes, the prospects for meaningful negotiations remain uncertain, with both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations and international hopes for diplomacy once again on shaky ground.
