Clerics of Sumy Eparchy evacuate 78 residents of frontline villages in 2025

Archpriest Oleksandr Petrenko and residents of frontline villages during evacuation. Photo: Sumy Eparchy

In 2025, clerics from the Sumy Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church evacuated 78 civilians from frontline settlements in the region, for many of whom this became the only chance to escape the hostilities. This was reported by the press service of the Sumy Eparchy.

Throughout the year, the Center for Spiritual Rehabilitation of military and civilians affected by the war operated under the Sumy Eparchial Administration. Under the leadership of Archpriest Oleksandr Petrenko, the Center provided systematic spiritual, humanitarian, and material assistance to both military personnel and the civilian population.

One of the most important areas of activity was the evacuation of civilians from dangerous areas of the Sumy region. From March to April 2025, 28 evacuation trips were carried out, during which people, along with their personal belongings and livestock, were transported to safer places – the city of Sumy, communities in the region, and other regions of Ukraine.

"For many people, this assistance became the only opportunity to escape the immediate threat to life," the eparchy notes.

During March-April 2025, evacuation trips were carried out almost daily, often under conditions of intense shelling, difficult weather conditions, and destroyed roads. The priest, along with volunteers, evacuated people, their most necessary belongings, and domestic animals from the villages of Uhroidy, Krasnopillia, and other border settlements.

Some of the evacuees were transported to the Romny district and other safer regions of Ukraine. For some families, thanks to the joint efforts of benefactors, it was even possible to purchase housing, opening the way to a new peaceful life.

"The evacuation mission was accompanied not only by physical danger but also by deep human experiences. The priest repeatedly shared testimonies about the pain of people parting with their homes, the tears of elderly women, the fear of children, and the tragic moments of saying goodbye to native places being destroyed by war," the eparchy says.

The diocesan press service noted that the activities of Archpriest Oleksandr Petrenko and the volunteers of the Sumy Eparchy received wide public attention, particularly highlighted in a report by the "Suspilne Sumy" TV channel as an example of sacrificial pastoral service in wartime conditions.

As reported by the UOJ, in March, the Sumy Eparchy organized free evacuation of residents of border areas of the region due to increased shelling, including settlements of the Krasnopillia and Yunakivka communities, where significant destruction of civilian infrastructure was recorded.

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