State Service: 183 churches damaged in Ukraine during the war
On July 24, 2022, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Speech published data on religious structures – churches, mosques, synagogues, educational and administrative buildings of religious communities of Ukraine, which had been damaged by hostilities. Information and interactive maps are available on the DESS website.
Of the 183 damaged religious structures, 173 are Christian. Most of them – 127 – belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is 73% of all damaged religious buildings. There were also destroyed 22 buildings owned by Protestant communities, 19 – by the OCU, 3 – by the RCC, 2 – by the UGCC, as well as 5 Muslim and 5 Jewish religious buildings.
The largest number of UOC temples were damaged in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – 45 and 40, respectively. 34 religious buildings of the canonical Church were damaged in the Kyiv region, 25 – in the Kharkiv region.
As the UOJ wrote, at the beginning of July, according to the Institute of Religious Freedom, over 240 churches suffered military actions.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.