‘We will not be destroyed by any horde or wickedness’

Irina Tromsa, 55, is comforted by comrades of her son Bogdan, 24, a Ukrainian paratrooper killed during fighting against Russian troops, during his funeral at the cemetery in Bucha on Saturday. Pics/AP, AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Sunday in an Orthodox Easter message that no "wickedness" will destroy the country and prayed that God returns happiness to children and brings solace to grieving mothers. In a video address from one of the country's best known landmarks, the 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will overcome the darkness that Russia's invasion had brought upon it.

"Today, we still believe in the new victory of Ukraine and we are all convinced that we will not be destroyed by any horde or wickedness," said Zelensky, wearing his trademark dark khaki outfit. "We are overcoming dark times and on this day I - and most of us - are not in bright clothes, but we are fighting for a luminous idea." Subdued Easter celebrations took place across the country on Sunday, two months since the beginning of the Russian invasion that Russian President Vladimir Putin has called a "special military operation".

Worshippers attend a service marking Orthodox Easter at Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church, in Lviv, on Saturday.

Zelensky said on Thursday Russia had rejected a proposal for a truce over the Easter period. Senior Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Sunday Russian forces were shelling the Avozstal steelworks in the besieged southern city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian defenders are holed up. In a Twitter message, he called for "a real Easter truce in Mariupol", along with an immediate humanitarian corridor for civilians and a special talks to facilitate the exchange of military and civilians.

In his message Zelensky also said Mariupol and its "heroic defenders" should not be forgotten. "It is possible to destroy the walls, but it is not possible to destroy the foundation on which the spirit of our warriors, the spirit of the whole country, rests," he said.

Top U.S. officials to visit Kyiv

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Kyiv on Sunday to discuss Ukraine's call for more powerful weapons, two months after Russia's invasion began.

The trip, announced by Zelensky on Saturday, would be the highest-level by U.S. officials since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24. The White House has not confirmed any visit by Blinken and Austin.

UK promises more military aid

The UK government will send more military aid, much-needed defence equipment to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

. Senior Ukrainian negotiator and presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Russian forces were continuously shelling
Mariupol and urged Moscow to agree to a "real Easter truce".

. Russia's defence ministry said its high-precision missiles struck nine Ukrainian military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the Kharkiv region where artillery weapons were stored.

. Ukraine has repelled numerous Russian assaults along the line of contact in Donbas this week, a British military update said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever