The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Week 239 of the War: Surviving This Winter Means Preparing for It Together
Our resilience this winter will stem from our local resilience. How well Ukraine endures the cold season will depend on how well we prepare our homes for winter now. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, made this statement in his traditional video address marking the 239th week of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory.
This week has been very difficult for Ukraine. Russia is escalating its attacks—particularly its airstrikes—on our cities and villages…
The Primate noted: “It is telling that the main targets of the Russian strikes were high-rise buildings. The Russians focused particularly on schools, hospitals, and warehouses—especially those storing food, medicine, and other essentials needed to sustain life in major cities. Energy infrastructure was also hit.”
“So,” the Head of the Church concluded, “the Russians are deliberately and systematically destroying the utility and energy infrastructure of our cities and villages, with the specific aim of turning these towns into ghost towns, particularly this winter.”
That is why, today, responsible preparation for winter means collective resilience and victory.
“In the context of the systematic destruction of our cities’ centralized utilities—water, electricity, and heat—we must make every effort to prepare for this winter. To survive this winter means preparing for it together. Therefore, preparing does not mean giving in to panic, but using the autumn God has granted us responsibly and rationally,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav asserted.
The spiritual leader called on all parishes, monasteries, and communities to become centers of energy resilience for our people:
“We must focus not so much on caring for ourselves as on doing everything we can to open our doors this winter to those who will suffer from darkness, cold, and water shortages. Today, the Church’s ministry means becoming hubs—centers of resilience—for our cities and villages throughout this autumn and winter.”
Read also:
Address by the Head of the UGCC for the 239th Week of the Full-Scale War, September 13, 2026
The Head of the Church made a special appeal to our friends and international partners to help Ukraine develop local energy resilience.
“We know that the enemy’s plans to freeze Ukraine and plunge us into darkness and cold will not succeed. Together we will get through this winter; together we will bring warmth and light to all those who need our Christian love, solidarity, and witness,” said the spiritual leader of the Ukrainian people.
The UGCC Department for Information
Photo: DTEK
