Ukraine today claimed that Russia bombed a church in the war-torn country’s Zaporizhia region on Orthodox Easter Sunday.
Images showed the building in ruins, with rubble and debris lying around and a black hole burning in the ground.
It comes as Putin and a huge security team joined worshipers at a mass in Moscow led by Russia’s archbishop and ally of the president.
The Russian dictator was attending Moscow’s largest cathedral, Christ the Savior, to celebrate Orthodox Easter.
Video footage showed Patriarch Kirill, the 76-year-old head of the country’s church, entering the midnight mass surrounded by dozens of uniformed security agents, most of them wearing red ties.
Russia is believed to have staged a brutal Easter attack overnight when it bombed a church in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region.
Shocking images show that the church has been reduced to nothing but rubble and debris
They are believed to have breached the routinely armed FSO guards whose job it is to keep Putin and other high-ranking officials safe.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s supporters took to Twitter to share their horror at the bombing of the church in the village of Komyshovakha, Zaporizhia Region.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said: “On Easter night, the Russians destroyed a church near Zaporizhia. They call Ukrainians Nazis and Satanists.
Another commented, “r*ssia celebrates Orthodox Easter by bombing a church on the outskirts of my native Zaporizhzhia overnight.”
Ukrainian citizen Anton Gerachenko took to the social media platform to confirm that the church is empty and no one was hurt.
He also alleged that Russia attacked Snyurivka in the Mykolaiv region, killing two teenagers.
while, It appears tough agents in Moscow are there to protect Putin from worshipers who undergo extensive security checks before being allowed into the cathedral.
A man holds an Orthodox icon at the site of a church destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid a Russian attack on Ukraine, in the village of Komyshovakha, Zaporizhia Region.
Putin and a massive security team joined worshipers at a mass in Moscow, led by Russia’s archbishop and ally of the president.
The Russian dictator was attending Moscow’s largest cathedral, Christ the Savior, to celebrate Orthodox Easter
Traffic in central Moscow was restricted hours before the start of the service.
Putin acknowledged that the second Orthodox Easter of his war with Ukraine came at a time of “serious challenges”.
“The wonderful and beloved holiday of Easter gives believers hope, inspires good thoughts and deeds, and serves to affirm high values and morals in society,” said Putin, whose war is feared to have killed more than 200,000 people.
The Church has always been with people, sharing their joys and hardships.
“Today, in the face of serious challenges, you are actively involved in the affairs of mercy and benevolence, helping people find strong spiritual support.”
Putin was accompanied at the ceremony by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a close ally.
Kirill delivered a sermon that gave his church its blessing for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – telling the dictator that the sovereign land he had conquered was traditional Russian territory.
The head of the country’s church, Patriarch Kirill (pictured), 76, entered the midnight service flanked by dozens of suitably fit security, most of them wearing red ties.
Putin admitted the second Orthodox Easter of his war with Ukraine came at a time of ‘serious challenges’
Ukrainian citizen Anton Gerashchenko took to the social media platform to confirm that the destroyed church in Zaporizhia region, Ukraine, was empty and no one was hurt.
“Today, serious events are taking place on our Russian historical land,” he said.
You could say it’s an internal conflict.
And today I am addressing Russians and Ukrainians. I especially appeal to those who, against their will, participated in this struggle.
We must do everything by the power of our prayers and good deeds to stop this conflict as soon as possible, so that peace, a common good life and fraternal relations may unite again firmly and firmly our peoples, who were once one people. united rus.
Today, this will be my special prayer, and I ask all of you to join this prayer so that the Lord will bless the Russian land.
When I say “Russian”, I mean Russia, from which the Great Russians, Little Russians, other nationalities came out, but the same Russia with which we are all connected historically, spiritually and in terms of civilization.
May the Lord help us, after going through the trials that are taking place now, to restore peace, mutual respect, harmony and the ability to live and act together.
Russian Orthodox believers attend an Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Patriarch Kirill, flanked by his bodyguards at Easter 2023 Mass
May the Lord preserve the Russian land, may the Lord preserve all the peoples who historically live on this vast part of the Earth.
May the Lord preserve our country, and strengthen peace and love between us.
‘happy easter! Christ has truly risen!’
Putin is seen crossing himself several times during the ceremony known as the Divine Liturgy.
Concern about Putin’s security is acute in Russia amid the war against Ukraine.
Two weeks ago, pro-Putin blogger and publisher Vladin Tatarsky was assassinated in St Petersburg.
Putin’s palaces and official residences are now protected by advanced air defense systems.
Some reports say he uses physical doubles to reduce the risk of assassination at events with large crowds.
He also downplayed public appearances, citing the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
