Russia fires barrage of drones as Ukraine marks Easter
AS Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine’s east where the situation on the frontline is worsening.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians in an Easter address to be united in prayer and called God an “ally” in the war with Russia.
Ukraine’s air force said yesterday that Russia had launched 24 Shahed drones, of which 23 had been shot down by air defences.
Six people, including a child, were wounded in a drone strike in the eastern Kharkiv region, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Fires broke out when debris from drones that were shot down fell on buildings in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region. No casualties were reported.
Officials in Kyiv urged residents to follow Orthodox Easter services online due to safety concerns.
Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration, warned that “even on such bright days of celebration we can expect evil deeds from the aggressor”.
Mr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer for each other and soldiers on the frontline.
In a video filmed in front of Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, wearing a traditional, embroidered shirt, Mr Zelenskyy said that God “has a chevron with the Ukrainian flag on his shoulder”.
With “such an ally”, Mr Zelenskyy said, “life will definitely win over death”.
A majority of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox Christians, though the church is divided.
Many belong to the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The rival Ukrainian Orthodox Church was loyal to the patriarch in Moscow until splitting from Russia after the 2022 invasion and is viewed with suspicion by many Ukrainians.
Worshippers including president Vladimir Putin packed Moscow’s landmark Christ the Saviour Cathedral for a night-time Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin.
The traditional sung service began late on Saturday, with Mr Kirill delivering well-wishes to Orthodox believers which were broadcast on Russian TV. A procession of white-robed clergy circled the vast cathedral, rebuilt in post-soviet times and widely seen as symbolic of Russia’s rejection of its atheist past, as they swung smoking incense censers and chanted the liturgy.
Most Western churches observed Easter on March 31, but the Russian Orthodox Church follows a different calendar.
In his Easter address, Mr Kirill wished for “God’s blessing over Russia”, its people and all countries where the church has a presence.
In a written message published earlier on Saturday on the church’s website, Mr Kirill noted that “awareness of God’s love ... gives us strength to overcome the most difficult mental states and difficult circumstances, elevates us above the bustle of everyday life, helps correct previous mistakes and destroys despondency”.
The patriarch this year appeared to steer clear from political pronouncements, unlike last April when he lamented “grave events taking place on our Russian historical land”, referencing Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and reinforcing the Kremlin’s narrative that Ukrainian statehood is essentially a fiction.
The service continued throughout the day.
Putin was shown among the worshippers, standing next to Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin as the two joined in the traditional Easter greetings. The Russian leader was later seen exchanging festive gifts with Mr Kirill.
Mr Putin has been eager to portray himself as defending “traditional values” espoused by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of what he repeatedly casts as the West’s “degrading” influence.
The country has increasingly taken a conservative turn, with attempts to restrict abortion and broad bans against LGBT activism and gender transitioning that have met with the church’s support.