Metropolitan Yefrem (Kitsay) of Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and injured following an enemy missile strike on Kryvyi Rih.
This was reported by the diocese's website.
"The news of the terrorist attack that Russia has once again staged in our city struck my heart with unspeakable pain and sorrow. Peaceful residents of Kryvyi Rih suffer again due to the bloodthirsty enemy. Christian blood is shed again. However, despite the heaviness and bitterness of realizing the evil being perpetrated by the cunning enemy on Ukrainian soil, we must not fall into despair.
On the contrary, in this time when criminals have brought war to our land when Satan rises against us, our main weapons must be courage and prayer. Wise King Solomon teaches us: 'He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city' (Proverbs 16:32).
According to the 20th-century Athonite ascetic, Schema-monk Iosif of Vatopedi, 'We are not alone; we are with God, who has called us into His army.' The truth is on our side, and thus God, the Great and Glorious in His deeds, is with us! And I believe that soon the Lord will 'put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He will repay those who hate Him' (Isaiah 59:17-18).
But now, my soul weeps once again for those who perished in this bloody war. Grief embraces my heart for the loss of my flock and the suffering of our city. Daily, I pray to God, seeking His mercy for our God-saved Ukraine. And I firmly believe that our united prayers and the victory of the invincible Ukrainian army will overcome the evil that has come to our land.
With all my heart, I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and injured from the enemy's missile strike. I pray to God to forgive all the sins of the deceased and grant their souls a place in the paradise of sweetness, where all the saints rest.
We also pray for those who have suffered from the missile terror and are now in hospitals. I beseech God, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, to provide comfort and healing from all their ailments and wounds."
As a reminder, on the morning of July 31, Russian occupiers targeted a residential high-rise building in the center of Kryvyi Rih and an educational institution. The head of the city's military administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, reported that four people were killed, including two men and a family of a 45-year-old mother and a 10-year-old girl. Furthermore, 53 people were injured, including three children, with three in critical condition and one in extremely critical condition.