Kiev (EFE).- The Ukrainian authorities announced the return home of 130 prisoners who were in Russian captivity as part of an exchange on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated today on Easter Sunday.
“A great Easter prisoner exchange. We recovered 130 of our own. It happened in the last few days in several stages. Military, border guards, national guards, sailors and employees of the Special State Transport Service,” the president of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram account.
Among the liberated are soldiers and officers captured on the Bajmut, Soledar, Zaporiyia and Jerson fronts.
“Ours are coming home. It’s Easter. The quintessence of this party is hope. This is exactly what the relatives of the prisoners who waited for them for so long felt,” Yermak said.
For its part, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has reported that the released prisoners range in age from 21 to 58 years of age and some of them are wounded.
This institution published photos on its Telegram account in which part of the released prisoners can be seen being greeted with hugs upon arrival in Ukrainian territory and posing with that country’s flags after getting off a bus.
Ukrainian authorities did not say how many Russian prisoners of war were released as part of the exchange.
Zelensky congratulates Easter with “unshakable faith” in victory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated believers on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, which Ukraine said it celebrates “with unshakable faith” in victory against Russia, in a speech in which he for once abandoned his military garb to wear a traditional embroidered shirt.
“Today we celebrate the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Its main symbol is victory: the victory of good, the victory of truth, the victory of life. We celebrate Easter with unshakable faith in the irreversibility of these victories, ”he declared in a video distributed by the Presidential Office.
Zelensky recalled how at the end of winter last year, the Russian invasion brought “death, pain and darkness”, which however failed to weaken the Ukrainians’ desire for freedom and their willingness to defend their country.
“We have kept the light within us. We have defeated panic, fear, disputes and quarrels. We have joined. Millions of sparks in millions of Ukrainian hearts have turned into a huge bonfire,” the president said.
Zelensky noted that “on this very day a year ago, we were all praying for Ukraine to resist. Now for Ukraine to be victorious. We didn’t just sit back and ask for it, but we won and created this victory ourselves.”
The president also recalled those who “gave their lives for the country” and asked God to protect “all those who continue to defend the country.”
Putin also congratulates Easter with hardly any references to war
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Orthodox believers on Easter today in a message posted on the Kremlin website.
“The wonderful and beloved Easter gives believers hope, inspires good thoughts and actions, and serves to reaffirm high ideals and moral values in society,” the president said in his congratulations.
He highlighted the work of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations to preserve the country’s historical heritage, strengthen the institution of the family and harmonize interreligious and interethnic relations.
“The Church has always been with the people, sharing with them joys and sorrows. And today, in the face of serious challenges, he is actively involved in works of mercy and charity, helping people find strong spiritual support,” Putin added.
Putin attended the Easter vigil officiated by Kiril this morning at the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer in Moscow, the largest Orthodox temple in the country.
The Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere. Due to this astronomical particularity, Orthodox Easter coincides with that celebrated by Western-rite Christians only every three or four years.