Putin Torn Apart For Ignoring Ukraine’s Easter Ceasefire Offer

Vladimir Putin has been slammed for ignoring Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer of a ceasefire over the Easter weekend.

An overnight attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa killed three people on Monday and injured at least 16 others.

Ukrainian president Zelenskyy hit out at Russia for continuing its attacks over the Christian occasion, saying: “We have repeatedly proposed to Russia a ceasefire at least for Easter. But for them, all times are the same. Nothing is sacred.”

Zelenskyy said last Wednesday he had spoken to US negotiators about a pause in fighting but Russia had sent more than 700 drones in a rare daytime attack in retaliation.

“Russia is responding with Shahed drones and continues its terrorist operations against our energy sector, against our infrastructure,” the Ukrainian leader said.

“A silence over Easter could be exactly the signal that tells everyone that diplomacy can be successful.”

However, Russia’s foreign ministry rejected the idea as a “PR stunt”.

Despite his frustrations, Zelenskyy extended his offer of a mutual ceasefire on strikes against infrastructure after the weekend.

The Ukrainian president said: “If Russia is willing to stop attacking our energy sector, we will refrain from similar attacks.”

There has been some confusion over recent strikes on Russian oil facilities.

The Russian defence ministry claims Ukrainian drones attacked a major oil shipping terminal in southern Russia early on Monday, though Kyiv said it attacked a different terminal.

Meanwhile, the former chief of the CIA told CBS News that Russia “no longer has the upper hand” in the war.

Retired US Army general David Petraeus said: “Over the last two months, the Ukrainians have actually made greater incremental gains than have the Russians.”

He said while Russia has advantages in manpower, firepower and economic scale, Ukraine has offset those with its innovative drone systems.