UOC priest seriously injured during Sumy shelling
A cleric of the UOC, Archpriest Pavlo Sereda, was seriously injured during the shelling of Sumy on September 16, 2026, reports the press service of the Sumy Eparchy.
According to the eparchy, the priest and his son Vasyl were in a car near the epicenter of a guided aerial bomb explosion. They were going to get bread to prepare hot meals for those in need, the homeless, and internally displaced persons.
The car was damaged by shrapnel. Archpriest Pavlo had his eye amputated and also sustained shrapnel wounds to his face and body. His son received minor injuries from glass fragments and experienced an acute stress reaction to the explosion. The priest is undergoing treatment and will require further medical care, prosthetics, and lengthy rehabilitation.
The eparchy has appealed for prayer and material support for the injured priest and his family.
As the UOJ reported, the Prophet Elijah Church in Sumy prepares and distributes hot meals daily to people who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.
