Relatives of those killed during the Russian occupation attend a commemoration of the victims at a cemetery in Bucha, Ukraine on Sunday, March 31, 2024. Ukrainians mark the second anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, during which Russian occupation left hundreds of civilians dead in the streets and in mass graves in Bucha during the initial months of the Russian invasion in 2022.
In the Kharkiv region, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that an air attack killed a 19-year-old man after a missile hit a gas station. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent days, causing significant damage in several regions. “There is not a day or night right now when Russian terror does not try to shatter our lives. Last night, we once again saw rockets and Shaheds launched against our people,” he said.
Many of Ukraine’s Orthodox Christians began marking Christmas in line with the Gregorian calendar on Dec. 25 in 2023, in a move adopted by some of the country’s churches to distance themselves from Russia. However, the dates for Easter and other religious holidays have so far remained unchanged. The Ukrainian leader laid a lamp at the town’s Wall of Remembrance, the president’s website said. The monument names the 509 civilians who have so far been identified of those killed during the occupation.