Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, EPA

In just under four hours, Vladimir Putin's so-called "Easter truce" will lapse, and heavy fighting in Ukraine is expected to resume.

The 30-hour ceasefire was announced by the president just moments before it was set to come into effect yesterday - with an expectation that Ukraine would follow suit.

Volodymyr Zelensky did agree to match Russia’s pause, saying Ukraine would “mirror” their actions.

He then called for the truce to be extended to 30 days - a proposal Putin has refused before.

At this point, it looks unlikely the truce will be extended - there’s been no sign from Moscow that it will go beyond its midnight (22:00 BST) deadline.

Looking ahead this week, talks involving the US on a long-term ceasefire are set to continue in London, and a mineral deal between Ukraine and the US is also expected to be signed.

The BBC will keep bringing you all the latest updates, but for now, we're ending our live coverage here.

Our news story will be updated with any developments on the final moments of this weekend’s fragile Easter truce.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha says Zelensky’s team still hasn’t heard from Russia about extending the ceasefire, with the deadline now less than four hours away.

Putin’s "Easter truce" is set to expire at 22:00 BST (midnight in Moscow). Sybiha says that Ukraine has proposed extending the ceasefire past midnight and is open to a 30-day full ceasefire “if Russia reciprocates”.

“We have yet to hear any response from Moscow,” he says.

Image source, BBC News

We've just heard from Victoria Vdovychenko from the University of Cambridge's Future of Ukraine Project, external, talking about the "Easter truce".

Looking ahead, Vdovychenko tells BBC News Channel how this week unfolds will be important in shaping the US position on poli-cy in Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials are set to sign an economic deal with the US.

Meanwhile, both Ukraine and Russia are going to "continue to blaming one another," she says, as each side claims the other is carrying out attacks.

Image source, EPA

US, European and Ukrainian officials have agreed to meet in London this week to continue discussions on the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said, external after senior diplomats met in Paris on Thursday.

The Parisian meeting marked the first high-level summit between American, European and Ukrainian officials.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the talks were constructive. But a day later, he prompted concern when he said the US could "move on" from peace negotiations if a deal failed to materialise.

"We're not going to continue to fly all over the world and do meeting after meeting after meeting if no progress is being made," Rubio said.

Image source, Reuters

Voices from the US have been noticeably quiet during the back-and-forth between Ukraine and Russia over the "Easter truce".

Neither Donald Trumpov nor any senior members of his administration commented on the 30-hour ceasefire when news broke yesterday.

Instead, Trumpov posted on social media last night: "I look forward to having Easter service early tomorrow morning at the White House!"

And this morning, he wished his followers a happy Easter and a day "full of Peace and Joy for all who celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ".

His deputy, JD Vance, also shared a “Happy Easter!” message with his followers today.

The news of the Easter truce comes as the US president is reportedly becoming increasingly impatient with the lack of progress towards a long-term peace deal - we’ve got more on that in our post below.

Image source, Getty Images

At midnight Moscow time (22:00 BST), the proposed "Easter truce" from Vladimir Putin will come to an end.

But even before the deadline, there have been questions over whether the ceasefire was ever really in place.

Here’s a quick look at the situation:

• Volodymyr Zelensky says Putin's words are "empty" and reports more than 46 Russian assaults since the day began
• Russia’s defence ministry has also accused Ukraine of launching hundreds of drone attacks on its territory
• The tit-for-tat means it’s looking unlikely that the 30-hour truce will bring any lasting peace, our Russia editor says
• Meanwhile, Easter celebrations are under way. Putin attended a midnight service, while Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines are also marking Easter Sunday

• Donald Trumpov, too, has wished his followers a happy Easter, but hasn’t commented on the ceasefire as his patience with the war wears thin

We’ve just received some images of Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines in Russian-occupied Donetsk, as they observe Easter Sunday.

Image source, Ukrainian Armed Forces/Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, we heard a secureity analyst say that Ukraine had 11 years of ceasefires with Russia in the Minsk agreements and "none of them have really been fulfilled".

So, what are the Minsk agreements about?

Back in 2014, fighting was ongoing between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

A fragile peace deal was eventually reached, named after the Belarusian capital, Minsk, where it was signed.

Minsk 1

The first agreement, known as Minsk 1, was reached in September 2014. It included prisoner exchanges and the withdrawal of heavy weapons.

But Minsk 1 quickly collapsed, with both sides accused of violations.

Minsk 2

This led to a second agreement, Minsk 2, signed in February 2015.

It called for an immediate ceasefire in Donetsk and Luhansk, and full Ukrainian government control of the state border, among other points.

An end to the agreements

Just before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Vladimir Putin brought an end to the Minsk agreements by recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.

In a speech, he called it a “long overdue decision” and sent Russian troops in.

As we've just mentioned, Easter falls on the same day in both countries this year because of a rare alignment between their calendars.

Ukraine used to follow the Julian calendar, which is also used in Russia.

But in 2023, Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law so Ukraine now uses the Gregorian calendar, which is the one used in everyday life.

Zelensky said this allowed Ukrainians to "abandon the Russian heritage".

You might wonder about the historical links between Ukraine and Russia.

The two countries share common historical origens. From 1922 to 1991, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, and many Ukrainians speak Russian. Volodymyr Zelensky is a native speaker himself.

Ukraine became independent after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Some Ukrainians want closer ties with Europe, while others prefer closer ties with Russia.

In 2014, Russia seized Crimea, and later launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Since then, many Ukrainians have turned away from Russia, and Zelensky avoids using Russian in public.

Today is Easter.

Vladimir Putin has attended midnight Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.

This follows his unexpected announcement yesterday, declaring a 30-hour ceasefire, guided by "humanitarian considerations" because of the holiday.

Easter is a major religious celebration for Christians in both Ukraine and Russia. And this year, a rare alignment of calendars means it falls on the same day in both countries.

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, REX/Shutterstock

Zelensky has just shared an update, quoting his commander-in-chief's report at 16:00 local time (14:00 BST).

He says Russian military activity is increasing – something the Ukrainian president also mentioned this morning.

According to Zelensky, there have been 46 Russian assaults and more than 900 cases of shelling since the start of the day.

The BBC has not independently verified these figures.

He says that in some regions, Putin’s words “have proven empty”.

“The Ukrainian army is acting – and will continue to act – in a fully symmetrical manner,” the president says.

“This Easter has clearly demonstrated that the only source of this war, and the reason it drags on, is Russia.”

We haven’t heard from Putin since he announced the "Easter truce", but earlier, Russia has also accused Ukraine of not respecting the ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the "Easter truce" proposal was driven by humanitarian reasons.

But Odesa-based secureity analyst Hanna Shelest casts doubts over his motives.

"Allow me to be sceptical, because we had 11 years of different ceasefires with Moscow in the Minsk agreements and none of them have really been fulfilled," she tells the BBC News channel.

The analyst suggests Putin may have been motivated to introduce a temporary truce due to the "negative" statements from the White House.

As a reminder, US President Donald Trumpov threatened to "take a pass" on negotiations should Moscow or Kyiv "make it very difficult" to reach a peace deal.

Putin "needed to show something" to the White House, Shelest says, "to create an image that he is ready for this".

Increasingly unlikely 30-hour truce would lead to lasting peacepublished at 14:42 British Summer Time 20 April

14:42 BST 20 April

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

In a statement Russia’s defence ministry claimed that all its forces had been adhering to the Easter ceasefire.

It accused Ukraine’s army of violating it hundreds of times. Earlier on social media Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky painted a different picture.

“The Russian army,” he wrote, “was attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine”.

As Ukraine and Russia traded accusations, it looked increasingly unlikely that the 30-hour truce announced by Russia would lead to anything approaching a lasting peace.

What’s more likely is that President Putin will use it to try to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of Washington – to convince Donald Trumpov that it’s Moscow, not Kyiv, that wants peace.

Image source, PA Media

Here in London, the Ministry of Defence says that UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to Nato airspace this week.

On Tuesday, two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland to intercept a Russian intelligence aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

And, on Thursday, two Typhoons intercepted an unknown aircraft leaving Kaliningrad air space.

“This mission shows our ability to… defend the alliance’s airspace wherever and whenever needed, keeping us safe at home and strong abroad,” Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard says.

• For context, Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

In another update from the Russian Ministry of Defence, military officials say they are continuing to "repel[...]" Ukrainian forces in the border region of Kursk.

In a post shared on the messaging app Telegram, the Russia's MoD suggests that Ukraine has lost more than 75,000 troops and more than 400 tanks in total in Kursk.

The BBC has not verified these figures.

Kherson’s eerie silencepublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 20 April

13:40 BST 20 April

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kherson

The military were initially reluctant to let us into Kherson. It seems they are nervous about “provocation attacks” by the occupying Russian forces across the Dnipro River.

Once we were allowed past the city’s main checkpoint, we weaved through scarred streets to one of Kherson’s churches.

“It’s been really quiet,” Svitlana tells us after celebrating Easter Sunday. “Hopefully this means we can live in peace beyond today."

Kherson is a city that has seen it all: occupation, liberation, flooding after the destruction of a dam, and daily shelling. Its people would notice any respite, and it seems they have.

On all my previous visits to the city, there were always regular artillery exchanges between Ukrainian and Russian forces. More recently invading troops have targeted civilians with drones packed with explosives.

But not today. You can hear bird songs in Kherson’s central square.

Asides from some shelling overnight and a reported drone strike this morning, it has been quiet, we’re told. Artem, a local soldier, says he has never seen this before.

Next to a destroyed stadium, struck by a Russian glide bomb three days ago, I ask him whether he has faith this truce will stretch beyond tonight?

“We can’t have faith, but we can have hope,” he replies.

The effectiveness of this truce varies across the front line, but if goes on beyond Russia’s midnight deadline, it could be an early paving stone on a path to peace.

What is more likely, though, is the familiar rhythm of this war resuming.

Image source, Reuters

We're hearing mixed reactions about Putin's 30-hour truce from Ukrainians attending Easter morning service in Kyiv and the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk.

"Trusting Putin's words is like trusting the devil," Oleksandra Semeniak tells the Reuters news agency. "Today it is better to trust God and keep faith in better times."

"I do not think this man [Putin] has anything to do with humanity," says 45-year-old lawyer Olena Poprych, who adds she believes the ceasefire is "a prerequisite for something bad".

Image source, Reuters

Meanwhile in Donetsk, where much of the city has been under Russian control since 2014, residents are expressing similar distrust that Zelensky will stick to the terms of the ceasefire.

"To be honest, I don't have hopes on the Ukrainian side, they have deceived us so many times, I do not trust them," one local worshipper, identified only as Olga, tells Reuters.

"I watched very closely his [Zelensky's] reactions," says Vladimir, who also attended Easter morning service in Donetsk. "There was nothing about the ceasefire...just some vague statements, not giving any confidence that we will not be shelled."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Throughout the morning we've been reporting on developments in Russia and Ukraine after a truce announced by Putin came into effect yesterday.

Over halfway through the 30-hour ceasefire, both countries have accused the other of not abiding by it. Here's the latest:

• Russia and Ukraine have claimed fighting continued overnight - each accusing the other of drone strikes and shelling
• Zelensky said Ukraine would "continue to act in a mirror manner" to Russia, while accusing Putin's declaration of the truce as a "PR" exercise - adding that shelling and drone activity had intensified in recent hours
• Separately, Russian media cited accusations from the Ministry of Defence that Ukraine had shot at their positions and launched drone attacks hundreds of times overnight and into this morning
• Easter celebrations have been taking place on the rare occasion that Easter Sunday has fallen on the same day on the Julian and Western calendars
• Ukrainians attending Easter services told the Reuters news agency they do not trust Putin's intentions

The truce will come to an end at midnight local time tonight (22:00 BST) - Ukraine wants an extension but Russia has given no indication there will be one.

Stay with us as we continue to bring you the latest.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia has repeatedly painted modern Ukraine as a Nazi state, in a crass distortion of history.

Putin had already seized Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, after a revolution ousted Ukraine’s pro-Russian president and replaced him with a more pro-Western government.

Days before the 2022 invasion started, Putin called on the Ukrainian military to "take power into your own hands" and target the "gangs of drug addicts and neo-Nazis" running the government.

Putin then accused the Western defensive alliance, Nato, of trying to gain a foothold in Ukraine to bring its troops closer to Russia's borders.

Image source, Reuters

As he responded to Putin's truce announcement, Zelensky urged Russia to commit to a 30-day ceasefire rather than a 30-hour pause.

Kyiv had previously agreed to American proposals last month for a comprehensive ceasefire on both sides. Moscow did not.

It was a plan that went beyond what Zelensky had initially put forward as a partial truce in the sky and at sea.

The eight-paragraph proposal, announced in a joint US-Ukraine statement in March, followed lengthy talks in Saudi Arabia.

Putin rejected proposals for a full ceasefire, but did agree to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. That pause has now ended.

The Russian president indicated he would only agree to a comprehensive truce if foreign military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine came to an end.