Syrskyi awards “Golden Cross” to UOC’s Volyn Eparchy cleric
Ukraine’s military command recognized a priest who took part in combat operations and sustained a serious battlefield injury.
In January 2026, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, presented the “Golden Cross” distinction to Archpriest Yuriy Zarafutdinov, a cleric of the Volyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Volyn Eparchy press service reported this.
The eparchy noted that Archpriest Yuriy Zarafutdinov is a veteran of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo and took part in combat operations. The award was presented on the Commander-in-Chief’s behalf by Captain Dmytro Kravchuk.
While serving in the combat zone, the priest sustained a mine-and-blast injury. He is currently undergoing treatment and recovering after another surgery.
The Volyn Eparchy emphasized that the distinction is a testimony to Fr Yuriy’s self-sacrifice, courage, and heroism, and asked the faithful to offer prayers for his swift recovery.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Kherson was damaged by shelling on Christmas.
