In . – 04/24/2022 18:54 (act 04/24/2022 18:55)
The photo shows Mariupol in southern Ukraine on Friday. ©REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko (image of symbol)
Russian armed forces’ rocket attacks against Ukraine also continued during Orthodox Easter celebrations.
Dozens of military objects and several Ukrainian military positions were again bombed, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.
Production unit in Ukraine
In Pavlohrad, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, high-precision weapons were used to destroy an underground ammunition production facility for the Ukrainian armed forces. In addition, four ammunition depots and troop concentrations in the Kharkiv region were targeted with rockets.
Russia: 150 Ukrainian fighters killed
According to Konashenkov, 150 Ukrainian militants were also killed in the attacks. In total, rockets and artillery were fired 423 times during the Easter Vigil. Ammunition depots were also hit in other regions of eastern Ukraine, he said. This information could not be independently verified.
Ukraine LIVE blog
Russia rejects Easter ceasefire
Russia had rejected a ceasefire at Easter. The Russian Orthodox Church stands firmly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the February 24 invasion of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. At Russian Orthodox Easter, Putin paid tribute to the Church’s role in the war for social cohesion.
Settlement control in southern Ukraine
The Ukrainian military said it had regained control of eight towns in the Cherson region of southern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian general staff in Kiev did not provide any information about the names of the cities or their exact location in its statement on Sunday.
Steel industry in Mariupol
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia continues its attacks on besieged steel mills in the port city of Mariupol. The Azovstal factory, run by Ukrainian militants, is under constant fire, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said on Twitter. It was attacked with heavy bombs from the air and artillery.
In view of the difficult situation, Kiev offered negotiations to Moscow. In a “special round” the exchange of soldiers could be discussed, Podoljak wrote.
Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine
According to local authorities, two children were killed in Russian bombings in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. They are two girls aged five and 14, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram short message service. The building in the village of Ocheretynsk, where they lived, was destroyed in the bombing. Kyrylenko urged people to leave the vicinity of the combat zones and go to safety.
area north of Ukraine
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia is also strengthening its troops in northern Ukraine. Additional units would be deployed in Russia’s Belgorod region, the Ukrainian General Staff said. Among them are combat units with short-range Iskander-M missiles, stationed about 60 kilometers from the border. Iskander is a short-range mobile ballistic missile system. Guided missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
Zelenskyi’s Message for Orthodox Easter
In his Orthodox Easter message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence in victory in the war against Russia. Easter symbolizes the victory of good over evil, of life over death, which is why Ukraine will win the war, Zelenskyy said in a video distributed on Sunday. The country must not lose passion for its struggle for freedom.
“At Easter we ask God for the great grace so that our dream comes true and that we see another great day, the day when peace will come to Ukraine and with it great unity and prosperity,” he said. He also posted a video of himself showing you St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev.
The church survived the attack by the Mongols and the occupation of the German Nazi regime, “and today it gives us faith in a new victory for Ukraine and that no horde and no dark force can destroy us,” he said. Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter a week later than Catholics and Protestants, who follow a different calendar.
Zelenskyy recalled war crimes
At the same time, Zelenskyy recalled war crimes in the cities of Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka and Hostomel, where hundreds of bodies were found after the withdrawal of Russian troops. Many of the dead had their hands tied behind their backs. Those responsible for this would have to answer to the Last Judgment, Zelenskyy said. The images of civilians killed in these Ukrainian cities caused horror across the world.