Russian forces bombed the oldest surviving wooden church in Ukraine on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the building was on fire.
It is about All Saints’ Church, which was built in the early 17th century. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times since then. The last time was in 2009.
The church is part of the Svyatohirsk Lavra monastery in the eastern Donetsk region. It is close to the front line in eastern Ukraine, where fierce fighting is taking place.
A video clip of the wooden church appears to be burning. According to Zelensky, the Russians bombed the church with missiles and then withdrew. The Russian Defense Ministry denies this. It is not yet known if there were any injuries.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has always been loyal to the Mother Movement in Russia. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the church announced its separation from Moscow.
Zelensky again called on the United Nations to punish and isolate Russia in response to the alleged attack on the church. For example, he wants Russia to be expelled from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
