Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 154th Week of Full-Scale War, January 26, 2025
Christ has born!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Once again, we find ourselves counting the weeks, days, and nights of this horrific war. This marks the 154th week of the full-scale invasion. This week has been another profoundly difficult one for Ukraine. On the front lines, we are witnessing unimaginable horrors. The Russians, determined to achieve their political aims by military means at any cost, are sacrificing thousands of their soldiers daily.
It is nothing short of carnage. Nearly 1,500 Russian casualties are reported on our front lines each day. The fiercest battles rage around two heroic cities—Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in our Donetsk region.
However, the most horrifying image this week was the brutal execution of six of our prisoners of war. The Russian soldier who shot them wore a sticker depicting the icon of the Unmade Savior on his chest. These images are unbearable. Christian consciences cannot and must not tolerate such atrocities.
A sacrilegious war like this can never be justified. Defenseless victims must not be killed in God’s name. As Pope Francis rightly said, what is happening here is no longer war—it is thuggery. War must adhere to customs, respect the rules of engagement, and follow international humanitarian law.
This week, our peaceful towns and villages endured nightly attacks from the enemy. Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as the city of Zaporizhzhia and its surrounding areas, were heavily hit by airstrikes. Dozens were killed and wounded, including infants only a few months old. Today, we pray to the Lord to accept the innocent victims into His arms and to have mercy on the tears and suffering of Ukrainian mothers, children, and the elderly.
Despite the unrelenting cruelty we face, which we cannot and will not grow accustomed to, we raise our voices to the world once again: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.
This week has been a deeply significant one, devoted to listening to women—mothers, relatives, and friends of those who are missing or held captive by Russian forces. It is undoubtedly the Church’s duty, and the priest’s responsibility, to stand with those who suffer most.
We had the opportunity to hear from women whose loved ones—servicemen from our territorial self-defense units—are either missing or have been taken into captivity. Looking at their faces—young women, middle-aged mothers, and gray-haired grandmothers—I could truly feel the depth of their pain. It is vital to be present for these grieving families.
Today, the Church’s support for such individuals is both multifaceted and compassionate. This group of women shared their impressions of their recent meeting with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. They spoke of the emotions and the understanding they felt from him, even without words. A particularly moving moment for them was when the Pope kissed the Ukrainian flag they brought to the general audience.
These women, these mothers, often feel isolated and forgotten. Their grief takes a heavy toll on their physical and emotional well-being. Only the Church and its clergy can and must stand by them.
We continue to support these women in their efforts, including advocating with Ukrainian authorities and international organizations, to secure the release of those unjustly imprisoned. Many territorial self-defense fighters were not officially listed as military personnel. As a result, the Russian side frequently does not recognize them as combatants but rather treats them as civilian hostages. This legal uncertainty deepens the suffering of those subjected to daily torture and their loved ones, who are pleading for help from both God and the world’s conscience.
What struck me most profoundly during these conversations was learning that our prisoners and hostages are not even allowed to pray. They are treated like animals, with the claim that “animals do not pray.” Prisoners of war are denied all religious items—no crosses, no Holy Scriptures, no symbols of faith.
At the request of these women, I appeal to international institutions, the Red Cross, and all organizations with the power to intervene: please ensure that prisoners of war held illegally by Russia are allowed to fulfill their religious needs. No one should be forbidden to pray.
We call on ombudsmen and humanitarian representatives to visit these prisoners and advocate for their right to possess the Word of God and hold the Holy Scriptures in their hands. Let the mighty of this world hear the voices of our mothers and women—their pain and tears—and let all who can act to ease the suffering of these captives, the defenders of Ukraine, do so without delay.
God, bless Ukraine. Hear our prayers for a swift end to this war and for a just peace. Accept these prayers—offered through the tears and pain of our people—and bless our homeland with Your heavenly peace.
