While Ukraine prepares to try to recover the occupied territories, this Sunday the first orthodox easter without the guardianship of Russia. Until now, in the Pechersk Lavra cathedral it was not possible to speak Ukrainian on this holiday, a ban that has been lifted this year in the midst of a dispute against Russia.

The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, has commented in a message to the public that the war could “erase” their life, values, traditions, leisure “and everything that this symbolizes.” These words have come the same day that we have learned of the agreement that has been reached for a “great exchange” of prisoners with Russia.

The person in charge of breaking the news was the adviser to the Presidency of Ukraine, Andrey Ermak, which has announced the return of 130 Ukrainian soldiers. “130 of our men are returning,” he added, before explaining that the exchange has actually occurred over the past few days and has developed in different stages.

These are 92 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 20 soldiers of the National Guard, 11 national guards, 3 border guards, 2 soldiers of the Navy and 2 representatives of the Special State Transport Service. “All of them were captured at the addresses of Bakhmut, Soledar, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson“, Yermak noted.

Vladimir Putin He has also attended the Orthodox Easter Mass held in Moscow, a religious event in which Patriarch Kirill, a supporter of the invasion, has called for the union of the territories. The priest, described by Pope Francis as “Putin’s altar boy”, maintains that Russia has never attacked anyone.