'No evidence' Vladimir Putin stuck to promise to stop fighting for Easter, MPs told

Deceitful Vladimir Putin bombarded Ukraine with missiles even after pledging a break in fighting over Easter, MPs have been told.

Defence Secretary John Healey blasted Russia for continuing fighting even after Putin offered a 30 hour truce. And updating the Commons he voiced his fury over a horrifying attack on Ukrainian families on their way to church on Palm Sunday.

On Saturday the tyrant said he would "order all military actions to cease" from Saturday afternoon to midnight on Sunday. But Mr Healey said: "Despite President Putin's promise of a 30 hour pause in fighting, I can confirm that Defence Intelligence have found, and I quote, no indication that a ceasefire on the frontline was observed over the Easter period.

"And 10,000 missiles and drones have been fired into Ukraine during this year alone, including from the Black Sea. So while Putin has said he declared an Easter truce, he broke it.

"While Putin says he wants peace, he has rejected a full ceasefire. And while Putin says he wants to put an end to the fighting, he continues to play for time in the negotiations and the military, the Russian military, continue to pressure Ukraine on a number of fronts."

The Defence Secretary voiced his outrage at an attack which claimed dozens of civilians on Palm Sunday, on April 13. The attack in Sumy, in the north east of the war-torn nation, has been branded an act of terrorism by Ukraine.

Mr Healey said: "Men, women and children in Sumy on their way to church were hit by Putin's deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians so far this year, killing 35 people, including young children, and injuring over 100 people.

"We are united in condemnation of this brutal attack and of Putins illegal actions at this critical moment."

The Defence Secretary said that Russian progress is slowing, even though it continues to pressure Ukraine "on a number of fronts". He said: "I can confirm Russian military progress is slowing. Putin gained less territory in March than he did in February, less territory in February than he did in January."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of breaking the truce over 3,000 times, dismissing it as a PR exercise. He said: "This Easter has clearly demonstrated that the only source of this war, and the reason it drags on, is Russia."

Mr Healey said UK defence chiefs would be meeting Ukrainian, US and European counterparts on Wednesday. The Government frontbencher said: "This war was never just about the fate of one nation.

"It is about not allowing national borders to be redrawn by force, it is about preventing aggressors across the world from being emboldened to threaten the security of all nations. That is why the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine.

"It is why UK leadership is playing a unique role: to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield and in negotiations, and also to prepare building blocks for a lasting peace that will safeguard Ukraine's sovereignty and deter Putin from future aggression."

Earlier Keir Starmer said it is "incredibly humbling" to see the work being done by allied nations to train Ukrainian troops. The PM also praised the "resilience" of Ukrainians as he visited a military base alongside his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, to see the work under Operation Interflex.

More than 54,000 Ukrainians have already received training under the programme. The PM said: "This is the second time I've come to see this training for the front line in Ukraine, and, just as with the first time, I find it incredibly humbling to see the training that is being done here."