Patr. Kirill Visits Metr. Mitrofan After Horlivka Cathedral Strike

MOSCOW — Patr. Kirill of Moscow visited Metr. Mitrofan of Horlivka and Slavyansk at the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexy in Moscow on Tuesday, following the August 23 Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) drone strike on the grounds of the Epiphany Cathedral in Horlivka. According to the Patriarchal release, Metr. Mitrofan was wounded when a drone struck the area where he and others had gathered after a service to bless an office of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission.

Metr. Mitrofan told Patr. Kirill that about 15 volunteers from various cities had gathered at the cathedral that day. No military personnel or equipment were located on the site. After the service, a drone hovered over the crowd, prompting the Metropolitan to order those present to scatter because they had only seconds to escape. He was the last to leave the building and, upon emerging, saw the drone heading directly toward him. The driver of his car attempted to evade the attack, but the hierarch realized he had no time to take cover and instead tried to jump as far as possible from the point where the drone would strike. The drone exploded exactly where his car was parked. He emphasized that the circumstances showed that this was a targeted attack.

The release stated that Archdeacon Roman Stepin and two humanitarian volunteers, Sergei Solodkov and Ekaterina Kuptsova, also sustained minor injuries. Metr. Mitrofan received surgery and remains hospitalized in Moscow, where doctors were able to save his injured leg.

The Epiphany Cathedral has been struck repeatedly recently, and churches throughout Horlivka have also been targeted. The diocese had originally been the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s (UOC) diocese over Sviatohirsk and the surrounding region. Following the Russian invasion, the diocese was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, which Russian authorities said was necessary because of concerns over "cross-border ties and espionage."

Video of the meeting between Patr. Kirill and Metr. Mitrofan was also released, showing the two hierarchs speaking in the hospital. During his visit, Patr. Kirill praised Metr. Mitrofan’s courage and faithfulness, telling him that “the Lord saved you from death” and expressing confidence that the attack would not harm his physical or spiritual health. The Patriarch went on to say:

I thank you for your courage, calm, and preservation of the faith. The Lord leads each of us along our own path. But your service in Horlivka has already been marked by a remarkable pastoral approach to people — at a time when such a calamity has befallen us. In a certain sense, everything that has happened to you is a confession. You have been brought to this state because you stand on the right side of history, on the right side of history, against which all these demons rise up, who want to tear Holy Rus' apart and weaken the Orthodox faith.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra suffered heavy damage during a Russian assault.