Putin attended the liturgy in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an Easter liturgy led by the Russian Orthodox Church, which strongly supported the Kremlin leader's decision to invade Ukraine.

Putin, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and dark purple tie, stood to the side at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, holding a lit red candle, pictures from the midnight service showed. He also attended the service last year.

The Russian leader crossed himself several times during the ceremony, known as the Divine Liturgy. When Patriarch Kirill said, "Christ is risen," Putin joined the rest of the audience in replying, "He is truly risen." Otherwise, he did not speak after the service, reports Reuters.

In January, Putin praised the church for supporting Moscow's forces fighting in Ukraine in an Orthodox Christmas message designed to rally people behind his vision of a modern Russia.