In Romanian Putna Monastery, UOC clerics pray for repose of AFU soldiers

The Putna Monastery, where a memorial service was held for the fallen AFU soldiers. Photo: UOJ

On December 14, 2025, a memorial service was held at the Romanian monastery of Putna for the fallen soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), natives of Northern Bukovyna, as well as for the missing servicemen, reports a UOJ correspondent in Romania.

The panikhida was served for approximately 250–300 Ukrainian servicemen, including ethnic Romanians from the Chernivtsi region, who fell during the hostilities, as well as for about 150 soldiers whose fate remains unknown. The service was conducted at the request of the families of the deceased and the Orthodox communities of Bukovyna.

On the monastery grounds, stands with photographs of the deceased were set up, turning the monastery courtyard into an improvised memorial. Relatives and friends of the soldiers gathered for prayer to honor the memory of those who did not return from the war.

Dozens of parents and relatives of the deceased arrived in Putna from Chernivtsi, the suburbs of Rosha and Rosha-Stynka, as well as from Dynivtsi, Horbova, Berestia, Kulykivtsi, Storozhynets, Dranytsia, Molnytsia, Ostritsa, Nesvoia, Novoselytsia, and other settlements. People from the Odesa and Kharkiv regions also participated in the prayer event.

The service was led by the abbot of the Putna Monastery, Archimandrite Melchisedec (Velnic), in concelebration with priests of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the UOC, as well as clergy –natives of Bukovina, now serving in Romania. The service was conducted with the blessing of Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți and was accompanied by the singing of the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy choir from Sibiu.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Shmyhal stated that about 500 chaplains from 13 denominations serve in the AFU, while the chaplaincy service remains understaffed.

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