In his Easter address released on Sunday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the holiday as marking “the victory of good, the victory of truth, the victory of life,” and he stressed what he said was Ukrainian unity in the face of Russian aggression.
“Belief in victory unites all of us always, and especially today. At Easter, which from time immemorial has been a family holiday for Ukrainians, a day of warmth, hope and great unity. We are one big family — Ukrainians. We have one big home — Ukraine. We have one big goal — victory for all,” Zelenskyy said.
President Zelenskyy finished his Easter speech with an ancient prayer that used to be read by the Cossacks before the battle. It gave me chills. “I will put on the shroud of Christ, my skin is an iron shell, my blood is a strong ore, my bone is a damask sword, I’m faster than an arrow, more alert than a falcon, The armor is on me. The Lord is in me. For tomorrow. For a peaceful dawn. For the victory. For Ukraine.”
Prisoner exchange
More than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released as part of a major Easter exchange with Russia, a top official said Sunday, as Orthodox Ukrainians marked the holiday for a second time since Moscow unleashed its full-scale war more than a year ago.
While celebrations were subdued because of security risks, with a curfew barring the faithful from customary all-night services, Ukrainian authorities and ordinary people shared messages of hope, linking the story of Jesus’ resurrection to their longing for peace and a Ukrainian victory.
Dozens of families had special reasons to rejoice, as presidential adviser Andriy Yermak announced that 130 soldiers, sailors, border guards and others captured by Moscow were on their way back home following a “big Easter prisoner exchange.”
Yermak said in a Telegram post on Sunday that those released included troops who fought near Bakhmut, the eastern mining city which has for months been the focus of Russia’s grinding offensive.
“The lives of our people are the highest value for us,” Yermak said, adding that Kyiv’s goal was to bring back all remaining POWs.
Russian forces shell chruch on Easter
Despite the shared Orthodox holiday, Russian shelling and missile attacks continued to sow destruction in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian regional officials. Officials in the country's south and east said that churches had not been spared. The governor of the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhii Lysak, said Russian forces stationed at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shelled a church in a nearby town, wounding two civilians.
“The Russians have once again confirmed that they hold nothing sacred,” Lysak said in his post.
Earlier on Sunday, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia province reported that Russian shelling overnight hit an Orthodox church in the town of Komyshuvakha. Photos showed local residents rescuing icons from the church, its gutted frame visible in the background.
At least four civilians were killed and eight others were wounded on Saturday and overnight, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday morning. The national emergencies service said the number of lives lost in the city of Sloviansk rose to 13 as more bodies were found in the rubble of an apartment building.
