Nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, faith remains central to Ukraine’s endurance, the country’s prelate says. Source: NCR Online.
Speaking ahead of the fourth anniversary of the invasion on February 24, 2022, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said churches are no longer only places of worship but are increasingly functioning as shelters and humanitarian support centres for civilians.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said the war has reshaped everyday life in Ukraine and significantly expanded the role of the Church. He also warned that international attention is gradually shifting away from Ukraine even as civilian suffering intensifies.
Major Archbishop Shevchuk said the conflict is affecting not only the country’s physical landscape but also the faith and outlook of ordinary Ukrainians.
“For Ukraine, each day is a day of blood, death, tears and struggle,” Major Archbishop Shevchuk said.
“We see that especially now, during this harsh winter, when attacks continue. This is not only a military war. It is also an informational and diplomatic war. Sometimes the world becomes a victim of Russian propaganda.”
Official casualty data reflects the scale of the violence he described. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The UN documented at least 2514 civilians killed and more than 12,000 injured – a 31% increase compared to 2024 and roughly 70 per cent higher than in 2023.
Since February 2022, more than 14,500 civilians – including 745 children – have been confirmed killed, with tens of thousands more injured.
Across the country, an estimated 10.8 million people – including both internally displaced and war-affected residents who remain in their communities – will require humanitarian support this year, according to the UN
Major Archbishop Shevchuk said a growing share of civilian suffering results from sustained attacks on infrastructure, particularly energy and heating systems, which have intensified during winter months.
He said the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has transformed its pastoral structures into humanitarian networks.
“Our parishes and monasteries have become humanitarian hubs,” he said. “On the first day of the full-scale invasion, hundreds of people came to our cathedral seeking shelter in the crypts. Today, our cathedral functions 24 hours a day as a place of light, warmth, food and medicine.”
FULL STORY
Shevchuk: Faith endures as Ukraine’s source of hope as full-scale war marks 4th anniversary (By Katarzyna Szalajko, OSV News via NCR Online)
