Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday announced a ceasefire in Ukraine for the duration of Orthodox Easter.

The order followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirming that his country had proposed an Easter ceasefire on X.

"People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes after Easter as well," he said.

The ceasefire will last from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday, CNN reported. Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter with a lengthy vigil service that begins on Saturday evening and stretches into Sunday morning.

Ukraine and Russia are traditionally Orthodox Christian countries and observe the Julian Calendar, which means Easter usually falls on a different date than in western countries.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.