Choir director killed in monastery shelling in Ternovate

Photo: Destruction of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “She Who Ripens the Grain.” Source: Press Service of the UOC Zaporizhia Eparchy

On June 1, 2025, the St. John the Theologian Monastery and the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “She Who Ripens the Grain” in the village of Ternovate, Zaporizhia Region, were damaged as a result of shelling. The choir director of the church was killed, according to the press service of the Zaporizhia Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

During the shelling, the choir director, the handmaiden of God Olga, sustained fatal injuries. Despite the efforts of emergency medical personnel, she could not be saved.

The official statement expresses deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the newly departed, and offers prayers for peace on the long-suffering land of Ukraine.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a UOC church in Shakhove, Donbas, was struck twice by Russian shelling.

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