Sat Apr 19 22:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Putin Declares Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine, Prisoner Exchange Announced

**MOSCOW, April 19, 2025** – Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, effective from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight Sunday, coinciding with Orthodox Easter celebrations. The Kremlin cited humanitarian reasons for the truce. This announcement follows a large prisoner exchange, with Russia claiming the return of 246 soldiers in exchange for the same number of Ukrainian prisoners of war. However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the return of 277 Ukrainian soldiers, posting a video of their arrival home draped in Ukrainian flags. The discrepancy in numbers remains unexplained. The ceasefire and prisoner exchange come a day after former US President Donald Trump suggested negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were nearing a critical point. Further details are expected.

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