War in Ukraine: Ukrainian military reports it has repelled more than 40 enemy attacks in 24 hours
More and more civilians are dying from Russian attacks in Ukraine. Shelling killed at least seven civilians in the cities of Kupyansk and Zaporozhye over the weekend, Ukrainian authorities report. President Volodimir Zelenski said in his video message that "this is how the terrorist state marks Palm Sunday" and places itself in increasing isolation from the world. The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed an ammunition depot and four Russian air defence systems in the past 24 hours.
Russian troops have continued attacks along the front concentrated in two towns, Bahmut and Avdiivka, in recent weeks. Kiev said it has repelled more than 40 enemy strikes in the past 24 hours, and casualties continue to mount on both sides.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski said in a message on the Feast of the Flowers that it takes faith to achieve victory against the Russian aggressor, because every holiday shows that evil will lose, and this belief must be preserved.
"Every bright Christian holiday teaches us that we may not know how, but we must be sure that evil will lose. We must believe. And we believe. We must bring the defeat of evil closer. And we bring it closer. May next year's Palm Sunday pass in peace and freedom for all our people," said the Ukrainian leader.
Kiev has changed some of its military plans following the leak of dozens of Pentagon documents, a source close to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski told CNN. The documents suggest that without a huge increase in munitions, Ukraine's air defences could be at risk, according to the New York Times, which added that this could allow the Russian air force to change the course of the war. While Ukrainian officials dismissed the documents as "fake," US officials confirmed to both the New York Times and CNN that the documents are legitimate, though some of them appear to have been altered.
