Assumption Church Destroyed in Russian Drone Strike in Eastern Ukraine

Photo: Ukrainian Orthodox Church / Facebook

MEZHOVA, UKRAINE — An Orthodox church in eastern Ukraine was destroyed after being struck during a Russian drone attack, according to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

The UOC’s Information and Education Department, citing the press service of the Dnipropetrovsk Diocese, reported that the Assumption Church in the village of Mezhova burned down on June 9 following what it described as a direct hit by an enemy drone. The church, also known as the Uspensky Temple, was located in an area near the border between the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.

Archpriest Georgiy Sergienko, Dean of the Mezhiv Church District, spoke about the destruction caused by the strike. Church officials described the incident as a devastating loss for the local Orthodox community, which had worshipped in the parish church serving the village and surrounding area.

The attack comes as religious sites across Ukraine continue to face damage amid the ongoing war. The destroyed church stood in a region that has frequently been affected by military activity because of its proximity to frontline areas and the border with Donetsk Oblast.

According to the diocesan report, the church was consumed by fire after the strike, leaving the sanctuary destroyed. No information about casualties was included in the initial announcement released by church authorities.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a UOC cultural center was destroyed in a strike on Dnipro.

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