About 100 monks of Sviatogorsk Lavra refuse to leave the monastery

About 100 monks refuse to leave the territory of the Sviatogorsk Lavra, which is under the control of the Ukrainian army, but exposed to Russian shelling from the other bank of the Seversky Donets, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense reports on its Facebook page.

According to intelligence, some of the monks are in serious condition due to injuries, age and illness, which makes their evacuation impossible.

The Directorate offers to organize a humanitarian corridor for their transportation through international intermediaries.

Earlier, UOJ reported that, according to the information of the abbot of the Sviatogorsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseny, about 400 lay people are sheltering in the monastery, including 56 children.

The UOJ also wrote that Metropolitan Arseny told about how religious life is organized in a monastery being located on the front line.

Read also

ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill

Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown

Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.

Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.

Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law

Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.

Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment

The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.

Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful

Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.