Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed about 120 members of the clergy and destroyed or damaged roughly 800 religious buildings in Ukraine. Some of them had a thousand-year history.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview for This Week on Capitol Hill, according to a post on the head of state’s social media.
Attacks on clergy and religious institutions were deliberate, not accidental. Zelenskyy noted that the Russians carried out large-scale attacks on religious buildings using drones and missiles, including cruise and ballistic missiles.
The President stressed that the destruction of churches and other religious sites is not only a material loss. It is about the eradication of Ukraine’s heritage, history, art and architecture, which cannot be fully restored through ordinary repairs.
"It is horror and madness. And it is not about money. It is about our heritage, history, art and architecture. You cannot simply repair them," Zelenskyy said.
- During a visit to Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. During the conversation, he spoke about Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts, together with its partners, to achieve peace, including contacts with the United States, and also briefed him on Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.