Zelenskiy tells Ukraine on Easter: 'Evil may have its hour but God will have his day'

KYIV (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians connected Easter Sunday not to springiness up anticipation that bid volition instrumentality to their state and to persevere to flooded the hard way of warfare connected which they person been travelling for 1,152 days.

Wearing a grey accepted Ukrainian vyshyvanka embroidered garment and lasting successful beforehand of Kyiv's main church, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskiy said successful a societal media video that Ukraine ne'er loses faith.

"Because this religion is successful each other," said Zelenskiy, who is Jewish, successful a connection filled with lyricism and emotion. "In those who basal adjacent to you. In Ukrainian men, successful Ukrainian women. Faith that evil whitethorn person its hr but God volition person his day."

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a astonishment one-day ceasefire successful Ukraine connected Saturday for Easter - which falls connected the aforesaid time this twelvemonth for Orthodox and Western churches. But Zelenskiy said earlier connected Sunday that the Russian service was making a pretence of a intermission successful hostilities, continuing overnight attempts to inflict front-line losses connected Ukraine.

"We cognize what we are defending. We cognize what we are warring for. For whom and for whose sake," Zelenskiy said.

"The time of beingness volition come. The time of peace. The time of Ukraine. A time that lasts a century. And we volition beryllium capable to stitchery unneurotic again. At 1 table. On a peaceful Easter."

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk successful Kyiv and Lidia Kelly successful Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard)