Easter Truce Rejected, Drone Attacks Kill Civilians

On April 2, President Zelensky floated an Easter truce idea, saying it could prove diplomacy

still has legs in this war.

But Russia shut it down quick, calling it a publicity stunt, and hit back with a massive

drone barrage overnight into Wednesday.

This comes on day 1,499 of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry boasted full control over Ukraine's Luhansk region

in the Donbass.

They said their units wrapped up the liberation there.

Ukrainian forces pushed back, though, with a spokesperson noting they still hold small

pockets that their third brigade has defended for ages.

Those claims from Moscow echo pass ones that didn't pan out, like last June when they

prematurely declared Luhansk fully captured.

Kiev figures it's a tactic to spook U.S. negotiators into thinking a Russian win is

locked in.

The drone swarm was brutal, with Ukraine's Air Force tallying 339 overnight and over

360 more by day.

U.S. killed at least 5 civilians, including 4 in the Central Turkic region and a woman

in front line Kursan, where two others got badly hurt.

A big postal warehouse in Western Lutsk went up in flames from one hit, sending fixed

smoke everywhere, as Novoposta shared pics of the wreckage.

With no truce in sight, both sides dig in deeper as the front line stayed tense.