Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service.

Coming to you live from London, I'm James Kamara Sami.

A 30-day, not a 30-hour ceasefire.

That is what a sceptical President Zelensky said this evening

would be a genuine confidence-building timeframe

after President Putin unexpectedly announced

that Russia would be unilaterally ceasing all military hostilities in Ukraine over the Easter weekend.

He said that he was doing this out of humanitarian considerations.

Well, it's not the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began three years ago

that the Russian leader has announced a pause over a holiday period

and it comes a day after a frustrated-sounding Donald Trump effectively threatened to walk away from peace negotiations.

We can speak to the BBC's Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse,

who joins me now from Odessa in the south of the country.

So, James, we've had reports since this ceasefire was due to come in of alarms, sirens in Kiev.

From where you are, what is the view? What is this ceasefire holding?

It's difficult, as you can imagine, James. I mean, as far as President Zelensky is concerned, he says his generals are reporting continued artillery fire and small advances by Russian troops across the eastern front line. But there are well-plugged-in military bloggers saying things are more quiet.

We've spoken to troops on different parts of the front line who have received orders to not fire on the Russians

and to record them if they return fire in any way and for them to shoot back if necessary.

We have seen a air raid siren in Kiev, but just looking at the map,

it's the quietest I've seen it for some time.

And as I talk to you now, you know, this time last night at Odessa,

the air defence were just going off all night.

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