Ukrainians mark Easter in shelled churches

STORY: Ukrainians flocked to churches on Sunday morning to mark what they call the Great Day after their centuries-old tradition of midnight Easter services was abandoned the night before over fears of Russian shelling and a nationwide curfew.

A small group of people sheltering at the Heorhiia Peremozhtsia church in Severnaya Saltovka suburb, one of the most shelled areas in Kharkiv, marked the religious holiday quietly with the rector of the church.

The church which has an underground section has been shelter for locals that are too frightened to stay in their own homes, or cannot return after heavy shelling wrought damage to parts of the region.

Metres away from a damaged tram stop, where shattered glass and debris still littered the ground, worshippers also gathered at St Volodymyr church.

A large group gathered outside the Archangel Michael church in another part of the city, with faithful singing as a priest blessed them and baskets of decorated eggs and paska (Easter bread) by splashing them with holy water.

The service inside the church saw the archpriest pray for Ukrainian soldiers defending the country on the frontlines.

Meanwhile, an army chaplain conducted a service for Ukrainian soldiers soldiers in the Kharkiv region, where shelling has intensified in recent weeks, blessing them with holy water and taking confessions.

Dozens of Mariupol residents also attended an Orthodox Easter morning service on Sunday to get traditional Easter cakes and coloured eggs blessed.