Russia strikes targets in Kyiv region as Ukraine holds door open for Easter truce

In this image made from video provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Russian soldiers fire a grenade launcher towards Ukrainian positions on an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) 2026-04-03T10:45:25Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a “massive” missile and drone strike on Friday near the Ukrainian capital, killing one person and injuring eight, regional authorities reported, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled Kyiv’s openness to a potential Easter truce.

The holiday is celebrated on April 12 in both Ukraine and Russia.

Another person died Friday after a Russian bomb struck an apartment block in northern Ukraine, according to local officials. “The Kyiv region is once again under a massive Russian missile and drone attack,” said Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the regional military administration, in a Telegram post on Friday morning.

According to Kalashnyk, one person died and at least eight more suffered injuries as a result of strikes on three of Kyiv’s satellite towns — Bucha, Fastiv and Obukhiv.

About 20 animals died after a veterinary clinic was struck, Kalashnyk added.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in a post on X that “almost half a thousand drones and cruise missiles” attacked Ukraine overnight. “This is how Moscow responds to Ukraine’s Easter ceasefire proposals — with brutal attacks,” Sybiha said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday signaled Kyiv’s continued openness to a potential truce on Easter, which falls next week according to the Julian calendar followed by Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia.

Read More Zelenskyy told reporters that the proposal had been communicated to Moscow through U.S. channels.

He added that the Kremlin’s response remains unclear.

Zelenskyy has previously offered a ceasefire for the Easter period — but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Moscow wants a lasting peace settlement, not a temporary truce.

President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it.

One person died on Friday in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, near the Russian border, after a Russian guided aerial bomb struck a residential block in the city of Shostka, local Gov.

Oleh Hryhorov reported.

He said three more people were hospitalized with injuries following the strike, including a 29-year-old woman whose condi

原文链接: AP News