‘We need real peace’: Easter truce fails to lift grim mood in war-torn Ukraine

We need real peace

Easter truce fails to lift grim mood in war-torn Ukraine

The Easter ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine began on Saturday afternoon, but just 38 minutes later, air raid sirens pierced the sky over Kharkiv region, northeastern Ukraine. Despite the pause in hostilities, military and officials noted several violations along the frontline, though no long-range missile or drone strikes were reported. This temporary respite was meant to last until Easter Monday, offering a rare moment of calm nearly five years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Easter should be a time of safety, a time of peace,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, stating that Ukrainian forces would retaliate “strictly in kind” if Moscow breached the agreement.

At the same time, families in Kharkiv gathered at St John the Theologian Church for a blessing, carrying baskets of iced cakes, painted eggs, and sausage. The traditional service, usually held just before midnight, took place mid-afternoon due to curfew restrictions. Parishioners lined up to receive holy water from the priest, yet their faith in the truce was thin. “Do you believe them?” Fr Viktor asked, reflecting on the ceasefire’s significance.

St John’s church, damaged at the start of the war, still has boarded windows. A parishioner named Larisa suggested, “Maybe there will be a pause, but then Russia will only launch even more intense attacks. We’ve seen that before.” Meanwhile, in a military training area near the Russian border, the Yasni Ochi strike UAV unit of Khartia corps tested new equipment. Commanders ordered troops to remain alert unless attacked, anticipating further aggression.

Despite the truce, the village used for training was briefly occupied by Russian forces in 2022 before being reclaimed. Now, rubble surrounds the site, and no one discusses reclaiming territories like Donbas. Heorhiy, the unit’s commander, emphasized, “We need real peace talks. Until then, we can’t afford to stop fighting.” He cited the Middle East conflict as a reason for hope, noting that Ukraine’s drone technology and expertise have been sought by other nations.

Back in Kharkiv, the ring road was being draped in netting to entangle Russian drones. Yet, missiles continue to strike homes in the area, with little time for defenses to react. In one suburb, five-storey flats were reduced to ruins after a missile attack killed 11 people last month. Among the wreckage, a red rug remains pinned to a wall, and photographs of the victims lie nearby. Olha, a neighbor, described sheltering with her elderly mother in a corridor that night. She showed me a video of the building opposite engulfed in flames, her own home in pieces.

“This truce is only 1.5 days,” Olha said, “but at least we can rest a bit. Here, you expect to die every second.” Her words underscore the enduring hope for peace amid relentless conflict. The truce, however, has done little to alter the grim reality for those living under constant threat.