ISTANBUL

Moscow on Sunday claimed that it took control of another village in eastern Ukraine before a unilateral Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin took effect a day ago.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, Russian forces captured the village of Novomykhailivka, located about 24 kilometers (15 miles) north of the city of Lyman, before the start of the 30-hour ceasefire.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed in an earlier statement on Telegram that 14 clashes took place in the Lyman front, and that Russian forces tried to advance near eight settlements in the area, including Novomykhailivka.

However, Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claim, and independent verification of the claim is difficult due to the ongoing war.

On Saturday, Putin declared a 30-hour unilateral ceasefire in the ongoing war in Ukraine, arguing that the halt’s success or failure would show Kyiv’s readiness and capacity to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country would be mirroring Russia’s actions, expressing that Kyiv proposes extending the halt for 30 days beyond Orthodox Easter “if a complete ceasefire truly takes hold.”

The ceasefire began at 6:00 pm Moscow time and will continue until Monday midnight.