New Delhi, April 13 -- The brief calm that descended over parts of eastern Ukraine during the Easter truce lasted barely long enough to be noticed. Within hours of the truce's expiration, artillery fire, drone activity, and mutual accusations surged back across a 1,200-kilometer front, exposing not only the fragility of the ceasefire but also the deeper contradictions shaping Kyiv's wartime strategy.

The 32-hour pause, initiated in coordination between Moscow and Kyiv, was billed by Ukrainian officials as a potential opening toward broader de-escalation. Instead, it collapsed under the weight of immediate ceasefire violations. Ukrainian military authorities reported more than 2,200 breaches, including shelling and drone strikes, even bef...