UOC church of Kharkiv damaged by shelling
The UOC church of the Joy ana Consolation Icon of the Mother of God in Kharkiv. Photo: Kharkiv Eparchy
On the night of June 9, 2026, during another shelling of Kharkiv, the Church of the Joy and Consolation Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was affected. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the people who were on the church grounds at the time of the strike. This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv Eparchy.
The published footage shows that the windows in the building were blown out, and the facade structures were damaged by the blast wave. The ruling hierarch of the Kharkiv Eparchy expressed sincere condolences to the rector, Archpriest Ihor Kondratenko, and the parishioners, calling on the faithful to pray for the speedy restoration of the shrine.
As the UOJ reported, a UOC church was destroyed by shelling in Ulanove, Sumy region. As a result of a direct hit, the concrete ceiling of the church was pierced and collapsed inside the building. Due to the continuous shelling, the scale of destruction could only be recorded through remote monitoring of the border territory.
Read also
Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom
The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.
Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million
Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.
DESS official says state should not govern the Church
A DESS official called for cooperation between the state and the Church for the benefit of citizens.
Poltava court upholds mobilization of Protestant pastor
A court in the Poltava region ruled that a prior criminal conviction and religious beliefs do not exempt a person from military service.
Ostapenko: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra would not exist without Soviet-era reserve
The reserve director spoke about the Soviet museum’s role in saving the monastery, while stressing the need to rethink its history.
Metropolitan Anthony criticizes DESS order on Boryspil Eparchy
The UOC chancellor rejected officials’ findings, pointing to procedural violations in the DESS review.