Kiev [Ukraine], April 1: President Volodymyr Zelensky called in an Easter Sunday message for Ukrainians to defend themselves against Russian aggression, as Moscow's forces attacked the nation's infrastructure.
"Now there is no night or day when Russian terror does not try to break our lives," Zelensky said in a post written in English on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"But we defend ourselves, we endure, our spirit does not give up and knows that it is possible to avert death. Life can prevail," he added. He called for true peace for the whole of Ukraine and all nations suffering war. Most Ukrainians will celebrate Easter at the start of May, in line with the Orthodox calendar.
His comments came after Russian attacks on Ukraine in the early hours of the day, with energy infrastructure a particular target.
The Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 18 of 27 attacks from drones, missiles and cruise missiles, but the authorities reported that some had struck their targets.
One person died in Lviv in the west of the country when infrastructure came under attack. Details were not provided.
Tens of thousands were without power for a time in the Odessa region on the Black Sea, and power cuts were reported in other parts of the country as well.
Earlier, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko sees the danger of a renewed offensive by the aggressors towards the Ukrainian capital.
"Kiev was a target and remains a target for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, because the capital is the heart of the country," Klitschko told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, speaking two years after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region around the city.
At the same time, he emphasized: "We know this and we are much better prepared than two years ago for possible new attacks."
Klitschko said that all scenarios must always be factored in. "If Putin makes such a decision, then it will be a bloody decision."
Following the withdrawal of the Russians from the Kiev suburbs in spring 2022, a massacre of hundreds of civilians was revealed in the small town of Bucha. It is considered one of the worst crimes committed in this war, launched by the Russian president on February 24, 2022.
Meanwhile, Klitschko also criticized SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich for his statements on a possible "freeze" of the war.
"We will not cede any territories to Russia. That cannot be a compromise," said Klitschko.
Instead, he called for more international help with the Ukraine's air defence.
"The missile attacks continue to increase, we urgently need more Patriot missiles and more ways to protect the people," Klitschko told the newspaper.
Source: Qatar Tribune