No trust among Ukraine's soldiers in Putin's Easter ceasefire

Kramatorsk, Ukraine: Ukrainian soldiers just a few kilometres from the front lines in the east told AFP on Saturday they had no trust in Vladimir Puti...

Kramatorsk, Ukraine: Ukrainian soldiers just a few kilometres from the front lines in the east told AFP on Saturday they had no trust in Vladimir Putin's announced Easter "truce."

The Russian president made the shock announcement that he was ordering his military to halt all combat action until 2100 GMT on Sunday, calling it a "humanitarian" act in recognition of Easter, which falls on Sunday.

But more than three years after Russia's invasion, there was no faith among Ukraine's troops that the Kremlin leader would keep his word -- or that any brief pause in the fighting would lead to a wider ceasefire.

"Of course there's distrust," said 40-year-old soldier, Dmitry, talking to AFP in the city of Kramatorsk, around 20 kilometres from the front in the eastern Donetsk region.

Even if Russia did hold off on attacks until Sunday night, it would only be for cynical reasons, he believed.