Russia and Ukraine Resume Drone Attacks After Orthodox Easter Truce

Russia and Ukraine renewed overnight drone strikes on Monday, April 13, 2026, following the expiration of a 32-hour ceasefire established for the Orthodox Easter holiday. Both nations traded accusations of mass violations during the brief pause in hostilities, which had been intended to reduce violence over the religious holiday.

Post-Truce Drone Exchanges

Following the end of the truce, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 98 drones overnight on Monday, April 13. Ukrainian officials stated that air defense systems neutralized 87 of these drones. One strike hit an infrastructure facility in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, with authorities noting that information regarding casualties was still being clarified.

Simultaneously, the Russian defense ministry claimed that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 33 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on April 13. Moscow reported that these interceptions occurred across multiple regions, including:

• Belgorod
• Kursk
• Rostov
• Bryansk
• Smolensk
• The annexed Crimean peninsula

Terms of the Orthodox Easter Ceasefire

The temporary truce was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The agreement mandated a halt in fighting starting at 4:00 pm (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, April 11, and lasting until the end of Sunday, April 12.

While President Zelenskyy agreed to honor the pause, he cautioned that Kyiv would respond quickly to any breaches of the agreement. The brief pause in fighting mirrored previous attempts to establish temporary ceasefires during the conflict, resulting in only a partial and temporary reduction in violence rather than a complete halt to hostilities.

Conflicting Claims of Violations

Despite the formal agreement, both sides reported significant breaches during the 32-hour window. Kyiv accused Russian forces of committing over 10,000 violations, which primarily consisted of artillery shelling, frontline clashes, and FPV drone attacks. An earlier report from the Ukrainian military had logged 2,299 violations by early Sunday morning, April 12.

Ukrainian officials clarified that while frontline activity continued, no missile strikes, air strikes, or long-range attack drones of the Shahed/Gerbera type were recorded during the declared ceasefire period.

Russia’s defense ministry disputed these accounts, alleging that Ukrainian forces breached the ceasefire approximately 2,000 times. Other reports cited a figure of 1,971 violations, including drone strikes in the border regions of Kursk and Belgorod that allegedly injured civilians.

Regional Impacts and Casualties

The failure of the truce resulted in reported civilian casualties in Russian border territories. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of Russia’s Belgorod region, stated on Sunday, April 12, that the bodies of two civilians had been recovered following an alleged Ukrainian attack that occurred on Saturday, April 11.

The resumption of strikes on Monday, April 13, indicates a return to active aerial warfare after the brief holiday window, with both nations continuing to employ unmanned aerial vehicles as primary tools of engagement.