Damn the war

Archpriest Vladimir Shutov with the community. Photo: Gorlovka Diocese

The rector of the church, Fr. Volodymyr Shutov, along with several parishioners, had been living in the church basement since May 2025. The community held services and received communion every day. The church is huge and solid (30 meters), but it had been almost destroyed by shelling, and the front line was very close. People decided to leave.

And so, after receiving communion, on September 7, the community split into two groups and left the church. But soon they came under fire. The priest's wife, a parishioner, and his 8-year-old daughter were killed instantly. The priest died slowly and painfully. He died in front of his son Oleksiy.

Fr. Volodymyr's daughter, Kateryna, later wrote: «In my father's dying groans, there were no curses or condemnation».

Currently, different versions of these people's deaths are being voiced on different sides of the front.

Kateryna wrote that her parents were "brutally murdered". But she does not blame anyone: "I ask everyone to understand in their hearts that those who kill are bearers of evil. And evil has no nationality, skin color, age, or even flesh. My parents became victims of the eternal struggle between the devil and God! I earnestly ask everyone who loved my parents: do not lose this battle. Evil is defeated only by good!"

Our grandparents, who survived World War II, did not like to talk about what happened then – it was too heavy and frightening. The only thing they all agreed on was that they hated war.

And we understand why.

In war, there are no winners, except for a handful of corrupt individuals who profit from it. There are only losers. We only lose in it, and we lose the most precious things: lives, health, and homes. And many lose their conscience as well.

Damn the war.

P.S. The bodies of those killed in Oleksandro-Kalynove have not yet been buried.

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