Putin attends Orthodox Easter service after declaring ceasefire in Ukraine

(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin joined different worshippers for an Easter work led by the caput of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a faithful backer of the Russian person and an advocator for the warfare successful Ukraine.

Hours aft declaring a unilateral Easter ceasefire that Kyiv said was conscionable words arsenic warring continued, Putin and Sobyanin stood successful Moscow's main church, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, portion Kirill led a procession, video of the work showed.

Holding a lit bladed reddish candle and donning a acheronian suit, achromatic garment and a reddish necktie arsenic successful years past, the Russian person crossed himself respective times erstwhile Kirill announced "Christ is risen."

The traditionally sung work starts precocious connected a Saturday and lasts into the aboriginal hours of Sunday.

For Putin, the Orthodox religion is cardinal to his satellite presumption and helium ever attends services during large religion holidays. For Orthodox Russians, Easter is the astir important spiritual holiday.

At the service, Krill called for "lasting and conscionable bid tin beryllium established successful the immense expanses of humanities Rus," RIA authorities quality bureau reported, successful what was a notation to a medieval territory that encompassed parts of what is present Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

"How wonderfully it was said, bash not bash evil to different and bash not dainty others arsenic you would not privation them to dainty you," TASS bureau cited Kirill arsenic saying.

"If radical adhered to this vacation commandment, past beingness would beryllium wholly different: household and societal beingness and - fto maine accidental this - inter-governmental."

Kirill has powerfully backed the warfare successful Ukraine, present successful its 4th year. Thousands person been killed, the immense bulk of them Ukrainians, and millions driven from their homes since Putin ordered the penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.

(Reporting and penning by Lidia Kelly successful Melbourne)