Soldiers celebrate their fourth Easter on the frontlines in Ukraine
ADVERTISEMENT
More than two billion Christians worldwide observed Easter on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. The holiday is considered the most important in the Christian liturgical calendar, constituting a central tenet of the faith.
But observing the religious occasion in a peaceful and safe setting is not possible for soldiers on the frontlines in the war in Ukraine.
A temporary ceasefire was announced on Saturday by Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow for a moment of respite and enable people to celebrate the holiday, which falls on the same day for Orthodox and Catholic Christians this year, for the first time since 2017.
The peace was short-lived after the warring sides accused each other of breaking the truce and continuing to launch attacks.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of targeting Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles in a post an X, while accusing the Kremlin of attempting to sell the idea of honouring its temporary truce to the world.
'As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine.'
Despite Putin's declaration of an Easter ceasefire, Zelenskyy said Sunday morning that Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and five assaults by units along the front line, as well as dozens of drone strikes.
Russia's Defence Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of overnight attacks in the Donetsk region despite the ceasefire. It said Ukraine had sent 48 drones into Russian territory.
According to the ministry, there were 'dead and wounded among the civilian population,' without giving details. It claimed Russian troops had strictly observed the truce.
Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson also said Ukrainian forces had launched attacks.
But despite the hardships of war, multiple Easter services and masses were organised across several Ukrainian cities. The capital, Kyiv, celebrated its fourth Easter holiday under martial law conditions.
Hundreds attended the services in person at the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The masses were also broadcast online for those unable to attend.
Hundreds of worshippers gathered on Sunday for Easter services in the Church of St. John the Theologian, a long-standing spiritual and community centre in Kharkiv.
The church has served as a source of strength throughout Ukraine's independence and has taken on new significance during the full-scale Russian invasion, transforming into a humanitarian hub.
Father Viktor Marynchak, known since the 2004 Orange Revolution as the 'priest of Kharkiv's Maidans,' led the Easter liturgy alongside Bishop Mytrofan of Kharkiv.
ADVERTISEMENT
The service brought together a wide cross-section of Ukrainian society, including soldiers, volunteers, and long-time parishioners.
Military chaplains were also present to bless traditional Easter bread.
Russian soldiers also celebrated Easter on the frontlines. A video released by the Russian Defence Ministry showed Orthodox servicemen participating in traditional Easter practices, such as egg colouring.
Soldiers were treated to warm meals and were given cake, as well as their own Easter service in one of the churches in the special military operation zone.
ADVERTISEMENT
Many hope this will be the last major holiday celebrated under war conditions, as efforts to bring the war to an end, championed by US President Donald Trump continue.
Trump, in a post on his own social media platform – Truth Social, shared on Sunday that he's hopeful that a deal to end the fighting can be reached between Kyiv and Moscow this week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Bogus Euronews Telegram spreads fakes targeting Romania and Moldova
A Telegram channel activated last Friday and fraudulently branded as Euronews Romania is planting disinformation and false claims targeting the Romanian and Moldovan presidents. Its creators – which have no affiliation or link to Euronews – claim that Romania's recently elected President Nicușor Dan discussed 'methods of combating the opposition press' with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu during his visit to Chișinău on Tuesday. Euroverify analysed both presidents' statements to the press during that visit and found no evidence to back these allegations. Sandu instead accused Russia of waging a 'war of manipulation and misinformation', while Dan vowed closer cooperation on tackling Moscow's 'hybrid warfare'. The unfounded claims made in the bogus channel have been directly quoted in Russian state-sponsored newspaper Pravda. In a pinned post, the creators also purport that the Telegram channel is an 'official' source of Euronews Romania reporting created by the management team to counter the recent use of doctored Euronews reports on the messaging app. However, neither the channel nor its content is the work of Euronews journalists. Euronews Romania does not have an official channel on Telegram, and said in a statement that the action is part of a "sustained' disinformation campaign that 'illegally' uses Euronews' branding. The fake account was created amid an uptick in recent weeks in false videos attributed to Euronews on pro-Russian Telegram channels, which aim to discredit or undermine the pro-European governments in Bucharest and Chișinău. These initially appeared to sow confusion and distrust in the context of last month's tense presidential run-off in Romania, which saw pro-EU centrist Dan edge to victory after a campaign marred by disinformation and alleged Russian interference. The actors behind these doctored videos have now shifted their focus to neighbouring Moldova, where recent elections and referendums have been overshadowed by Russia's hybrid war techniques. Amongst the false claims made in these videos are that the Republic of Moldova ranks first in terms of the number of carriers of sexually transmitted diseases in Europe, or that Moldova is a driver of irregular migration into the European Union. Crunch parliamentary elections are set to be held in Moldova on 28 September, with President Sandu's pro-European PAS party facing a growing challenge from opposition forces. A poor showing for PAS could reshape the country's political landscape and hinder progress on the path to EU integration, which Sandu has accelerated during her five years in power. Last October, a referendum in Moldova on whether to enshrine the country's wish to join the European Union into the constitution was plagued by interference, including reports that €14 million in Russian funds had been funnelled directly into the accounts of 130,000 Moldovans in a bid to buy their anti-EU votes. That referendum saw Moldovans vote 'yes' to EU membership by a razor-thin majority of 50.4%. In recent weeks, a Kremlin-backed bot network known as Operation Matryoshka has launched a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Sandu, circulating fake images depicting her execution. Posts published in the fake Euronews Telegram on Tuesday claim Dan 'shared his experience in limiting the opposition press' with Sandu during his Chișinău visit, adding that Sandu's PAS party sees this as the 'main tool for gaining and retaining power' in September's parliamentary elections. A closer look at the post shows that Dan has been misspelt as 'Nikușor', which could mirror Russian pronunciation of the president's name, according to our analysis. These allegations match the broader playbook of disinformation narratives that Euroverify has detected concerning Romania's presidential ballot. Disinformation targeting the Romanian ballot often claimed that the pro-Western, pro-European governing forces were suffocating free speech and hindering Conservative, Eurosceptic forces Telegram's founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, has fed this playbook with uncorroborated claims that France's intelligence chief asked him to "silence" Romanian conservative voices by banning them from his messaging app in the run-up to last month's presidential ballot. Euroverify previously assessed that this claim was unfounded. Telegram was founded by Durov and his eldest brother Nikolai in 2013, and has been championed by journalists and activists for its strong encryption and security. But the app has recently come under scrutiny for the spread of illegal content and disinformation. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is visiting Ukraine on Wednesday, in what marks his first ever trip to the country. During a one-day trip, Vučić is scheduled to take part in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Serbia's Presidential Office announced. According to Euronews' European political sources, the Serbian president's participation in the summit signals Serbia's realignment with the EU regarding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Serbia has positioned itself as neutral when it comes to Russia's war against Ukraine, but Vučić's recent visit to Moscow for Russian President Vladimir Putin's Victory Day parade drew sharp criticism from Brussels regarding Serbia's EU membership bid. Brussels issued a stark warning, indicating that Vučić's visit to Moscow would violate EU membership criteria and potentially hurt Serbia's accession process to the 27-member bloc. According to Euronews' European political sources, Vučić's participation in the summit in Odesa and its symbolism should lead to Brussels reopening and expediting Serbia's EU enlargement chapters. In this context, as a gesture towards Serbia, Ukraine did not invite Kosovo to the summit, the same sources told Euronews. Just recently, Russia accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine, calling it a "stab in the back" from one of Moscow's longest-standing European allies. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement claiming that "Serbian defence enterprises, contrary to the 'neutrality' declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv.' The statement alleged that the export of the Serbian arms to Ukraine was going through NATO intermediaries, "primarily the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria." "Recently, exotic options involving African states have also been used for this purpose," SVR said. Vučić denied the accusations, saying that although a contract with the Czech Republic exists, it does not permit exporting Serbian-made materiel to another country. He also stated Moscow and Belgrade would create a "working group" to establish how Serbian-made weapons reached Ukraine. The Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa will gather representatives from 12 southeastern European countries. Among them is Romanian President Nicusor Dan, who is making his first trip to Ukraine since winning the May election. Russia has regularly targeted the port city of Odesa in missile and drone attacks.** On Tuesday, two people were killed after drone attacks hit residential buildings and medical facilities, including a maternity ward, officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said 13 people had also been injured there.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Serbia's Vučić visits Ukraine for the first time in EU realignment bid
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is visiting Ukraine on Wednesday, in what marks his first ever trip to the country. During a one-day trip, Vučić is scheduled to take part in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Serbia's Presidential Office announced. According to Euronews' European political sources, the Serbian president's participation in the summit signals Serbia's realignment with the EU regarding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Serbia has positioned itself as neutral when it comes to Russia's war against Ukraine, but Vučić's recent visit to Moscow for Russian President Vladimir Putin's Victory Day parade drew sharp criticism from Brussels regarding Serbia's EU membership bid. Brussels issued a stark warning, indicating that Vučić's visit to Moscow would violate EU membership criteria and potentially hurt Serbia's accession process to the 27-member bloc. According to Euronews' European political sources, Vučić's participation in the summit in Odesa and its symbolism should lead to Brussels reopening and expediting Serbia's EU enlargement chapters. In this context, as a gesture towards Serbia, Ukraine did not invite Kosovo to the summit, the same sources told Euronews. Just recently, Russia accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine, calling it a "stab in the back" from one of Moscow's longest-standing European allies. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement claiming that "Serbian defence enterprises, contrary to the 'neutrality' declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv.' The statement alleged that the export of the Serbian arms to Ukraine was going through NATO intermediaries, "primarily the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria." "Recently, exotic options involving African states have also been used for this purpose," SVR said. Vučić denied the accusations, saying that although a contract with the Czech Republic exists, it does not permit exporting Serbian-made materiel to another country. He also stated Moscow and Belgrade would create a "working group" to establish how Serbian-made weapons reached Ukraine. The Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa will gather representatives from 12 southeastern European countries. Among them is Romanian President Nicusor Dan, who is making his first trip to Ukraine since winning the May election. Russia has regularly targeted the port city of Odesa in missile and drone attacks.** On Tuesday, two people were killed after drone attacks hit residential buildings and medical facilities, including a maternity ward, officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said 13 people had also been injured there. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his centrist, pro-European government before parliament on Wednesday, seeking to reassert control and rally his fractured coalition after suffering a bitter political defeat. Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a close ally, to conservative Karol Nawrocki in the 1 June presidential runoff. Backed by US President Donald Trump, Nawrocki is set to replace outgoing President Andrzej Duda, another Law and Justice or PiS party-backed conservative who repeatedly blocked Tusk's reform efforts. "I am asking for a vote of confidence with full conviction that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland," Tusk, who heads the Civic Platform (PO) coalition, said in Warsaw. "Anyone who is ready to move forward with me, with the government, and above all with our voters, regardless of these momentary emotions, and build a better Poland, should vote today for a vote of confidence in our government," Tusk said. The vote, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk's favour. His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament. A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election. That could potentially return power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race. Tusk had long counted on a Trzaskowski victory to break the institutional deadlock created by Duda's vetoes. Instead, he now faces an incoming president aligned with the nationalist opposition and openly hostile to his government's legislative priorities. "We cannot close our eyes to reality," he said. "A president who was reluctant to accept the changes we proposed for Poland and our voters is being replaced by a president who is at least equally reluctant to those changes and proposals." But he also argued that Trzaskowski's narrow defeat indicates that there is continued strong support for those who share his views. The election result rattled the already uneasy governing coalition, which spans from centre-left to centre-right and has struggled to deliver on key campaign pledges, including liberalising Poland's abortion law and legalising same-sex civil unions. Tusk acknowledged the growing strains in Wednesday's address. Many are also blaming Tusk for contributing to Trzaskowski's loss. Much of the criticism has come from within his coalition, as his partners examine whether they are better off sticking with him or risking a collapse of the coalition. Some are calling for a new prime minister to be selected. There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether the coalition will even survive that long amid a surge in popularity for the far right. Polish media and political analysts are debating whether this might be the 68-year-old Tusk's political twilight. "I know the taste of victory, I know the bitterness of defeat, but I don't know the word surrender," Tusk said. As part of his fresh start, he announced plans for a government reconstruction in July that will include "new faces." He said a government spokesman would be appointed in June, an acknowledgement that the coalition needs a way to present a unified message. So far Tusk has sought to communicate his policies to the public himself on social media and in news conferences. Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He became Poland's prime minister again in December 2023 in a country hit by the pandemic and inflation and facing significant political divisions. In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty on Wednesday, with lawmakers from the right-wing PiS party boycotting his speech. Tusk said their absence showed disrespect to the nation. Most of the power in Poland's parliamentary system rests with an elected parliament and a government chosen by the parliament. However, the president can veto legislation and represent the country abroad.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Russians struggle with 'crazy' prices
"The prices are crazy," lamented the 84-year-old, who said he can no longer afford cherries -- or even potatoes, a staple that is now three times more expensive than a year ago. Russia's three-year-long military offensive on Ukraine has caused inflation to surge at home, a thorn in the side for the Kremlin, which strives to shield Russians from the fallout of its campaign. Western sanctions have disrupted supply chains and dozens of consumer brands have left the country, while inflation is now running above 10 percent. Meanwhile, deep labour shortages caused by massive recruitment by the army and arms manufacturers, have seen both salaries and prices jump higher. Russia's Central Bank last week cut interest rates from a two-decade high, saying inflation -- including food prices -- was starting to come under control. But for many hard-pressed Russians, it does not feel that way. Paltievich's wife, Tatyana, stood next to him clutching a small punnet of strawberries -- a precious treat for her grandchildren that set her back 400 rubles ($5). "We survived 1991, so now we're not afraid of anything," she said defiantly, in reference to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic chaos that followed. Filling up the fridge Many of those navigating the aisles at Moscow's Preobrazhensky market were also worried about high prices. "I came here to buy chicken for my granddaughter. It's more expensive in the supermarkets, so I don't buy there anymore," Nikolai Kucherov, a 62-year-old freelance artist told AFP. "I had to forget about travelling. For the past three or four years, I've only been thinking about filling up the fridge," he said. The Kremlin has hailed Russia's economic performance since it ordered its troops into Ukraine in February 2022. A huge surge in spending on the military has helped Moscow defy predictions that sanctions would collapse the Russian economy. Engineer Konstantin Zelenkov, 38, is one of those who have benefited from rising wages amid the government spending boom. "Some things are becoming more expensive but salaries are rising too, so it's staying roughly the same," he told AFP. Central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina has also pointed to rising wages and on Friday said inflation was starting to moderate, though it remains well above the institution's four percent target. "The high interest rate has led to a significant slowdown in inflation," she told reporters. Overall "the rate of increase in food prices has slowed", she added. But even Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced recently to address fears over a potato shortage that sent prices for the staple soaring. For many across Russia, price rises feel never-ending. "Starting even with bread, everything is getting more and more expensive," Irina Yakovleva, 68, said. "We just have to limit ourselves," she added.
