Priest from Kherson described the situation in the city and conditions of pastoral ministry in wartime

According to the priest, today the pastoral ministry in Kherson is limited because during the last two days people were completely forbidden to leave their homes.

“Today, on March 4 and it is the first day you can go outside. Four people came to us for prayer, - says Fr. Ignatius. "People come to pray in the monastery chapel in between sirens, in quiet time."

“In Kherson, we are completely cut off from communication, there is no Ukrainian television, only Russian propaganda is broadcast on Russian channels. Kyivstar and Vodafone mobile operators are also disconnected, the radio is not even connected. We are completely isolated in terms of information”, the priest said.

In a week, he says, people have got used to sirens and don't flinch much, although, of course, anxiety takes over.

"However, the most disturbing thing is that we are completely cut off from the news and do not know what is happening in Ukraine. We do not know what the situation is”, he said.

Father Ignatius also said that two days ago, on March 2, there was loud shelling near the monastery. Several shells fell very close - at a distance of 200 meters from the monastery building. As a result of the shelling in the neighborhood where the monastery is located, two houses and a school were damaged.

“As for the spiritual life, in this anxious time we keep the church rule, we pray the rosary. I also practice the adoration of the Holy Sacraments for an hour,” adds the Basilian monk.

Notoriously, on March 1, Russian troops began bombarding Kherson. Trying to seize the city, the occupiers fired the residential areas.