**Russia’s Easter Ceasefire Exposed as PR Stunt, Says Ukraine**
As the world marked the Easter holiday, Russian forces in the Lyman sector of Donetsk Oblast were busy exploiting a one-day ceasefire to regroup and launch a large-scale infantry assault. According to Anastasiia Blyshchyk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s symbolic truce was used as a PR move to prevent President Trump from becoming impatient or upset.
Blyshchyk told Suspilne media that Russian forces came under massive artillery fire just hours after Putin announced the ceasefire on April 19. “This so-called truce did more damage to us,” she said, adding that Russian forces exploited the lull to reposition units and prepare for renewed assaults.
The Lyman sector remains one of the most fiercely contested areas along the front line, with its strategic importance lying in its proximity to key transport routes and logistics corridors. The assault follows statements from Ukrainian military leadership that Russia’s anticipated spring offensive is already underway.
**Russia’s Spring Offensive Gains Momentum**
Ukraine has reported intense attacks across multiple sectors of the front line, with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirming that Moscow had begun its spring campaign on April 9. Russian forces launched 54 drones from various locations against Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
As the situation on the ground continues to escalate, concerns about the U.S. global credibility under Trump are shared by roughly one-third of Republicans. Meanwhile, Russia’s imports of crude oil are expected to hit 2.15 million barrels per day in April, the highest volumes since May 2023.
**Ukraine Fights Back**
Japan’s Kyushu University Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS) has agreed to provide Ukraine’s military intelligence agency with synthetic aperture radar imagery, Intelligence Online magazine reported on April 21. The energy situation remains critical in the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.
As Ukraine continues to fight back against Russian aggression, Ukrainian soldiers have been meeting with international leaders, including American actor Sean Penn, who met with the soldiers of the 3rd Regiment of the Special Operations Forces stationed in Kropyvnytskyi.
