Exaltation of the Cross Church parishioner killed in RF shelling in Nikopol
The courtyard where the parishioner was killed. Photo: National Police
On March 15, 2025, a 70-year-old woman was killed in a shelling attack on a residential area in Nikopol, while her two granddaughters, aged 3 and 11, were injured and are now in the hospital, according to the National Police.
The rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Church of the UOC, Archpriest Ihor Melnikov, told the UOJ that the deceased was a parishioner named Halyna. She was walking to Vespers with her granddaughters when the attack occurred. The older girl, 11, sustained injuries, while the younger, 3, suffered a concussion. Both children have been taken to the regional children's hospital, and their lives are not in danger.
The shelling occurred near the church, which is located in a residential area. Windows in the Sunday school were shattered. The Exaltation of the Cross Church itself was unharmed this time, despite being in the shelling zone for the third consecutive year.
The church community is devastated by the tragedy and asks for prayers for the newly departed Halyna and for the health of the young girl Anna and the infant Ksenia.
Previously, the UOJ reported that two altar boys of a UOC church were killed in a Russian shelling attack in Hryshyne.
Read also
In Pasika, Transcarpathia, priest defects to OCU while community remains in UOC
In the village of Paseka in Transcarpathia, believers discussed the future fate of their church.
In Sumy, Presentation Church of UOC damaged by shelling
In the Sumy Eparchy, the walls and fence of the Presentation Church were damaged as a result of shelling, but divine services continue.
Ukraine loses almost 98% of cases at European Court of Human Rights
According to the ECtHR’s 2025 report, nearly all complaints against Ukraine end with findings of human rights violations.
UOC Chancellor on Kyiv Council decision targeting UOC: Obvious lawlessness
Metropolitan Anthony said the document adopted by the Kyiv Regional Council violates the Constitution, interferes with freedom of religion, and exceeds the body’s authority.
In Finland, Constantinopolitan Church hierarch convicted of fraud
A Finnish court found the former archbishop of the Constantinople Patriarchate guilty of manipulating state subsidies and committing financial violations.
His Beatitude: Pure faith is the only path to soul salvation
On the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the Primate of the UOC urged the faithful not to tailor faith to human reasoning and passions, and reminded them of the significance of the Ecumenical Councils.