A spokesman for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine spoke about the horrific killings committed by the Russian occupiers among the civilian population and clergy.
Archbishop of Chernihiv and Nizhyn told Radio Maria that just the other day, in Chernihiv, the Russian orcs killed a dozen people who had been standing in line to buy some bread.
“The situation is very difficult and grave! There are constant attacks and shelling, both from jet artillery and from the air, by warplanes,” said Bishop Yevstratiy (Zorya).
The city’s infrastructure is being purposefully destroyed by Grad MLR systems. There is no water, no electricity, from time to time the heroic efforts of public utility workers help fix something, at least for some parts of the city, where supply of electricity and water is restored.
The occupiers regularly cut off gas supplies, but our repairmen are trying to repair that as well.
The impression is that the occupiers were given the task to coerce the defenders and residents of the city to finally surrender to the enemy! But, this will NOT happen! The Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing their job well,” said Bishop Yevstratiy.
He said the OCU had lost several priests since February 24, who had been killed by enemy bullets. There are those with whom the church has lost touch.
“Of some we know for sure. It is with great sadness that we say that three pastors were killed: Father Maksym Kozachyn, who was shot in Ivankiv in the first days of the invasion, Father Rostyslav Dudarenko, who was killed at a checkpoint in Yasnohorodka, and the chaplain, Father Platon Morhunov, who was killed in Volnovakha.
In captivity, from the first days of the large-scale war remains Father Vasyl Vyrozub of Odesa, who was on board the civilian ship Sapphire sailing to Snake Island to pick up the bodies of the fallen border guards, and there, off the coast of the island, the ship was captured by the Russians! Now he and his team are in captivity in Crimea.
Father Oleh Nikolaev was detained by the Russians in Berdiansk. Later we received an updated that he was free again.
Ten other priests are missing, including Bishop Vsevolod Matvievsky of Sloviansk. He lived near Volnovakha, serving in a local church.
In addition, in my Chernihiv-Nizhyn diocese, a number of priests have not been in touch for a long time and neither have they appeared on social networks!” said Bishop Yevstratiy.
