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.

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