The Orthodox world celebrates Easter this Sunday, April 16. Despite the vagaries of war and the curfew that prevented the holding of night processions, Ukrainians went massively to churches for the traditional blessing of baskets of food and colored eggs, but also to maintain hope for peace. . However, hostilities did not end over Easter, and last night Russian forces even targeted a church.
With our correspondent in kyiv, Stephane Siohan
Traditionally, Ukrainian churches are open all night, in the hours leading up to Easter Sunday, to allow believers to partake in blessings. This year, however, the authorities have imposed a curfew, asking parishioners to stay at home, sometimes even staying all night in the church.
In the village of Kouchouhoum, not far from the front, in the region of Zaporizhya, the first public prayers were supposed to start at 5 a.m., but in the night, around 2:30 a.m., Russian forces struck the village, where shot down several S-300 type missiles which completely destroyed the village church, dating from 1906. The bombardment also destroyed the presbytery, as well as a bookstore, and if by some miracle there were no casualties, the strike particularly shocked parishioners, certain that the church was targeted.
In kyiv, President Zelensky spoke from the symbolic site of the Pechersk Caves Lavra Monastery, historically the seat of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine. As the site is being brought back into the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, Volodymyr Zelensky said that these Easter celebrations bring light and faith in victory.
► Read again: Ukrainian Orthodox celebrate Easter under the sign of division