Russian soldiers write 'Christ is risen' on missiles fired into Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin goes to midnight mass

Russian soldiers wrote “Christ is risen” on missiles fired into Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend as Vladimir Putin spoke about “neighbourly love” at a Moscow cathedral service.

At least a dozen people died in the Russian missile attacks exactly two months after Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine, killing thousands.

In a statement to mark Orthodox Easter, Mr Putin said: "The hearts of believers are filled with special joy, sincere love for their neighbours, the desire to do good deeds and help those in need."

At midnight mass in the gold-encrusted opulence of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in central Moscow, Mr Putin, flanked by Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, stood holding a candle as he listened to the sermon by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Kremlin has used the Russian Orthodox Church to press its propaganda and informer networks into the farthest-flung corners of Russia.

Mr Putin is careful to make a public show of his support for the church. He routinely takes a dip in freezing water during the Epiphany and attends services at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on major religious festivals and celebrations.

Russian forces yesterday described missiles as “Easter eggs” being sent to Ukraine.

"The tankmen wrote 'Christ is risen' on their missiles," a Russian soldier told a chuckling woman in a phone recording released by Ukraine's SBU. "So we are having some fun in any way we can."

On Saturday, at least a dozen people died in Ukraine in Russian missile attacks that hit Kharkiv in the north, several towns in the eastern Donbas region and Odesa on the south coast.

Russia has said that it wants to widen the war to southwest Ukraine, including Odesa, which is Ukraine's main port and a cultural centre.