Since the beginning of the war, at least 28 buildings of religious significance in six regions have already suffered from attacks by Russian troops, most of them Orthodox churches. This is reported by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience.
"The Russian invasion brings destruction to churches, mosques, synagogues and religious educational institutions in different regions of Ukraine. While Kremlin propagandists cynically cover up their own imperial ambitions with theses about "defending Orthodoxy," an aggressive attack by Russian troops destroys Orthodox churches and other shrines of religious communities in Ukraine. At least 28 buildings of spiritual significance (not counting adjacent buildings) have already been damaged in at least six regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Chernihiv. The vast majority of them are Orthodox churches, reports the press service of the State Service for Ethnic Policy.
In particular, on March 14, Russian shells landed on the territory of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kyiv, and the seminary buildings were damaged.
On March 12, during the bombing of the city of Svyatogorsk, Donetsk region, the Svyatogorsk Lavra was partially destroyed; on March 12, a temple of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk region, was destroyed as a result of Russian shelling; on the night of March 11-12, as a result of shelling by Russian troops in the village of Pyatykhatky, Kharkiv region, the Church of the Holy Queen Tamara was damaged; on March 10, as a result of shelling by the invaders, the church in honor of the Prophet Elijah and the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the village of Mostyshche, Fastiv district, Kyiv region, was destroyed; on March 10, as a result of another shelling Severodonetsk invaders partially destroyed the Nativity of Christ Cathedral.
On March 9, the blast wave from rocket shelling of Kharkiv damaged the windows of the synagogue of the United Jewish community of Ukraine; on March 8, the church of St. Tikhon in Gulyai-Pole, Pologovsky district, Zaporizhia region; on the night of March 7-8 in the city of Sumy, as a result of an air raid by a Russian bomber, the building of the Sumy Theological Seminary of the UOC was damaged; as a result of the shelling on March 7, the buildings of the Yelets Assumption Monastery in Chernihiv were damaged; On March 7, St. George's Church burned down in the village of Zavorychi, Brovary district, Kyiv region; On March 7, due to hostilities, the church in honor of the Blessed Virgin of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Vyazivka, Zhytomyr Region, was destroyed; On March 7, during an air strike on Byshev, Kyiv region, an explosive wave damaged the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin; On March 6, in the town of Malyn, Zhytomyr Oblast, during shelling by the occupiers, a shell exploded near the Church of the Intercession in the very center of the town; On March 6, near Irpen, Kyiv region, the church of the Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer was shelled; on March 6, the Holy Dormition Monastery in the village of Nikolske in the Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, was affected by artillery fire.
On March 5, in the village of Yasnohorodka, Kyiv region, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was damaged during the shelling; on March 5, the Church of the Ascension in the village of Bobryk, Kyiv Oblast, was damaged by shelling; on March 2, a temple in honor of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women in Kharkiv was damaged by shelling; on March 2, windows and stained glass windows in the Assumption Cathedral in Kharkiv were broken, church utensils and decorations were damaged; on March 2, the University St. Anthony's Church was damaged by shelling in Kharkiv; on March 2, in the village of Talakivka near Mariupol, the main dome, roof and bell tower of the Church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were damaged as a result of hostilities; on March 1, in Kharkiv, a Russian rocket hit the building of the curia of the Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhya Eparchy of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine; on March 1, Russian shelling damaged the Konstantinovka Mosque and nearby outbuildings in the city of Konstantinovka, Donetsk Oblast; on February 28, as a result of hostilities in the town of Shchastya, Luhansk region, St. Catherine's Church was damaged; on February 27, artillery shelling damaged the domes and roof of St. George's Church in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast; on the night of February 27-28, a church in honor of St. Joasaph of Belgorod on International Square was damaged as a result of hostilities in Kyiv; in the first days of Russia's attack on Ukraine in the city of Lysychansk, Luhansk region, the second St Mytrophanes Church and Sunday School were damaged.
The State Service for Ethnic Policy asks to provide information and photos about damage to religious buildings and other consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for religious communities to send to religion@dess.gov.ua. contact number: +380 977053857.