In Vilniansk, Russian drone strike damages UOC church

The UOC church in Vilniansk. Photo: Zaporizhzhia RMA

On May 4, 2026, a Russian drone strike on Vilniansk in the Zaporizhzhia Eparchy damaged St. Volodymyr's Church, killing two civilians. This was reported by "Left Bank" citing the head of the Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov.

According to Fedorov, the strike hit the market and church area. A shopping pavilion and a private residential house were destroyed, fires broke out in several locations and were subsequently extinguished. As a result of the strike, a married couple died – a 51-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman. Their 31-year-old son sustained injuries to his lower extremities. Additionally, three more women aged 32, 36, and 52 were injured.

According to the Telegram channel "First Cossack", the deceased family was staying in a mini-hotel at St. Volodymyr's Church, where they had moved as internally displaced persons. The strike damaged the roof and facade of the church, and a fire broke out near the building.

As the UOJ previously reported, in Shakhove, Donbas, a UOC church was hit twice by Russian shelling. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, strikes on UOC religious sites have been recorded in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, and other regions of Ukraine.

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