KYIV: Just hours after the brief Easter ceasefire proclaimed by President Vladimir Putin came to a close, Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones against Ukraine early Monday morning (April 21), shaking awake the capital city and other regions in the east.

During the surprise attacks, regional Ukrainian officials reported no immediate injuries or significant damages. However, Ukraine's air force revealed that Russia had launched a staggering 96 drones and three missiles overnight, targeting areas in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy.

In a show of resilience, Ukrainian air defense units successfully shot down 42 Russian drones, while an additional 47 drones were effectively redirected through electronic warfare measures.

Accusations of violations of the truce flowed from both Kyiv and Moscow, with each side claiming thousands of attacks had occurred. While Washington pushed for the continuation of a ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to agree to a 30-day pause in hostilities.

Despite these diplomatic overtures, Putin, who has been at the helm of the invasion since February 2022, made it clear that he had no intention of extending the ceasefire, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

In response to the renewed aggression, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukrainian forces would respond in kind, stating, "The nature of Ukraine's actions will remain symmetrical: ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defense. Actions always speak louder than words."

As eastern Ukraine went on high alert just after midnight, air raid sirens were sounded in both Kyiv and central regions of Ukraine for a brief period. While officials confirmed no strikes on the capital, the southern port city of Mykolaiv reported missile strikes from Russia, with damages yet to be assessed.

Interestingly, the Voronezh region in Russia, which borders Ukraine, also faced air raid alerts for two hours overnight, indicating a heightened state of tension on both sides of the border.

While Sunday was marked by the absence of air raid warnings in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukrainian forces had recorded nearly 3,000 violations of Russia's own ceasefire, particularly noting heightened activity along the Pokrovsk frontline.

In turn, Russia’s defense ministry claimed that Ukrainian forces had targeted Russian positions 444 times over the ceasefire period, leading to civilian casualties.

As the conflict escalates, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about potential peace negotiations, stating in a recent address that he hopes a deal could be reached "this week." However, he also cautioned that the U.S. would withdraw from peace efforts if substantial progress isn’t made soon, as voiced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.