President Vladimir Putin appeared withdrawn and dejected during a rare public appearance at an Orthodox Easter Mass in Moscow.
The Russian tyrant appeared to stare blankly at the congregation as he went through the religious motions during mass.
The 71-year-old’s sentiment could be the result of claims that the country’s armed forces need a thousand men a day on the front lines in the conflict with Ukraine.
Putin attended a service at the crowded Christ the Savior Cathedral for an all-night Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin.
Although the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense estimates that Russian deaths and fatalities could total as many as 450,000, Russia has not released any figures as of September 2022.
President Vladimir Putin appears withdrawn and dejected during the Orthodox Easter mass and stares absently into the distance
The Russian leader looked miserable as he went through the all-night televised mass across Russia
Putin stood with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin (right) in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for midnight mass, where they held thin red candles as a choir sang traditional songs
President Putin attended the traditional service with the patriarch on television late Sunday Kirill conveys good wishes to Orthodox believers.
A procession of white-clad clergy marched around the massive cathedral, rebuilt in post-Soviet times and widely seen as symbolic of Russia’s rejection of its atheist past, waving smoking censers and singing the liturgy.
Most Western churches celebrate Easter on March 31, but the Russian Orthodox Church follows a different calendar.
In his Easter speech, Kirill wished ‘God’s blessing on Russia’, its people and all countries where the Church is present.
But the Church’s Easter comes amid damning figures released by Kiev, which claim the daily number of victims in Russia has surpassed 1,000 per day.
According to the latest figures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and reported by The ExpressRussia suffered 1,120 casualties in 24 hours, making it the fifth day in a row in which the number of injuries or deaths has risen to more than 1,000.
Russian losses increased significantly in late April after a period of heavy fighting in the Donetsk region.
Despite Putin’s apparent woes according to the latest statistics, Ukraine continues its offensive and hopes to receive military assistance from the US soon.
A Ukrainian airstrike on Russian troops. Recent figures released by Kiev estimate that Russia is losing more than 1,000 troops a day and has lost more than 6,000 in the past five days alone
Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (photo) and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin, led the service
Putin and the mayor of Moscow later exchanged gifts, but the pair appeared somber during the service
The British forces have also revealed that Russia has suffered heavy artillery losses.
Tory minister Leo Docherty previously said that ‘more than 10,000 Russian armored vehicles’ had been destroyed.
This included 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed-wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles and 23 naval vessels of all classes.
In addition, more than 1,500 artillery systems have been destroyed, abandoned or captured by Ukraine.
Possibly as a nod to the dire situation now facing the Russian armed forces, Patriarch Kirill published a message on the Church’s website on Saturday.
He noted that “the realization of God’s love gives us the strength to overcome the most difficult mental states and difficult circumstances, raises us above the hustle and bustle of everyday life, helps to correct previous mistakes and destroys despondency.”
Ukrainian soldiers fire a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket system at Russian troops
Ukrainian soldiers ride an armored personnel carrier (APC) in a field near Khasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on April 27, 2024
The patriarch seemed to refrain from making political statements this year, unlike last April when he complained about “serious events taking place in our Russian historical country,” referring to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and the Kremlin’s narrative reinforced that the Ukrainian state is essentially a fiction.
Putin was shown among worshipers, standing next to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin as the two performed traditional Easter greetings, but the president appeared depressed and miserable.
The Russian leader was later seen exchanging festive gifts with Kirill.
Putin has been keen to portray himself as a defender of the “traditional values” espoused by the Russian Orthodox Church, despite what he has repeatedly dismissed as the West’s “demeaning” influence.
The country has taken an increasingly conservative turn, with efforts to restrict abortion and broad bans on LGBTQ+ activism and gender transition receiving support from the church.