Easter church shelling, prisoner exchange: highlights of the day

Easter shelling

On the afternoon of April 16, Russians hit a church in Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, with heavy artillery, injuring two people.

Before that, at night, the Russians launched a massive attack on Zaporizhzhya Oblast, where a local church was struck, although there was no service there at the time. The occupiers also attacked Mykolaiv Oblast, where Russian shelling killed two teenagers.

During the day, the Air Force recorded high activity of Russian aviation: as about 20 aircraft were in the air. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the Russians launched 25 missile strikes, 28 airstrikes and four more attacks from multiple launch rocket systems in a day.

Rescue operations in Slovyansk after the April 14 missile attack have also been completed. 15 people were rescued from the rubble of a five-story building: five were rescued, 10 people died, including a two-year-old boy. A total of 39 people are known to have been injured in the attack: 15 people were killed and 24 others were injured.

Exchange of prisoners

Ukraine has returned 130 more defenders as part of the Easter prisoner swap. The exchange took place in several stages over the past few days.

The released Ukrainians include military personnel, border guards, National Guard, sailors and employees of the State Special Transport Service. Privates and sergeants who were captured in the Bakhmut, Soledar, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson sectors have returned home.

Reznikov announced the losses of Ukrainian military

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that the losses of Ukrainian troops in the war are "critically lower" than those of Russian troops and do not exceed the number of victims of the February earthquake in Turkey (more than 50,000 people).

According to him, in Bakhmut alone, Russia loses 500 people killed and wounded every day. Every 24 hours, this is one battalion of Wagner PMC members, mercenaries, and former criminals.

The vicissitudes of Ukrainian grain exports

After Poland and Hungary banned imports of agricultural goods from Ukraine until June 30 yesterday, the European Commission called such unilateral actions by EU member states on trade unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria said it is also considering a ban on grain imports from Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Ukraine and Hungary held talks in this regard, as a result of which Budapest promised to maintain the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through Hungary.

Situation at the frontline

The Russians continue to focus their main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka axes. Ukrainian defenders repelled over 45 attacks there over the last day. The enemy is actively using tactical and army aviation in these areas. The cities of Bakhmut and Maryinka in Donetsk Oblast remain at the epicenter of the fighting.

Service of two churches in Lavra

For the first time, two churches — the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate — held their Easter services in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery.

In the Assumption Cathedral, the Easter service of the OCU began at 06:30 a.m.: people gathered gradually. The faithful expressed their delight that the Ukrainian language was "finally being heard in this cathedral."

The main Easter service of the UOC-MP began in the Church of St. Agapetus of the Kyiv Caves. One of the monks called the OCU schismatics, over which "Poroshenko, the candy factory" has power. Priests of the UOC-MP tried to ban the journalists from filming the process.

Members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine celebrated Easter at the front. "The meaning of this holiday is the victory of life over death, of good over evil," the Da Vinci Wolves battalion wrote.

Other news

• The State Emergency Service reported that water levels have risen in eight oblasts of Ukraine. More than 200 houses and hundreds of yards were damaged.
• Ukrainian intelligence is already using a Black Hawk helicopter in combat, the only one in the country so far.
• A man who threw a grenade at people was detained in Kyiv. The reason was jealousy.
• Brazil's president proposed creating a "political G20" to end the war in Ukraine.
• On April 17, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit Iraq to discuss "the development of political dialogue."
• The Kremlin says Putin met with China's defense minister and praised military cooperation.