杏MAP导航

By Barb Fraze, CNEWA

Up to seven people were killed and up to 13 injured on Tuesday in a large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv and Odesa, which also damaged the historic Holy Wisdom Cathedral. The five-hour assault, in which Russia fired more than 315 drones, was “one of the biggest” strikes on Ukraine’s capital in the three-year war, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said a blast damaged the cornice on the main apse of the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which serves as the Mother Church of all Christians who trace their roots to ancient Rus, Catholics and Orthodox.

Christianity in its Byzantine form in the 10th century. Construction of the cathedral began in the 11th century.

“Last night’s massive drone attack—the largest of the war—struck at the heart of Ukraine: the Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom, also known as St. Sophia,” said Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

“This sacred place has withstood invasions and communist persecution for a thousand years,” he continued. “Like Notre Dame in Paris, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, St. Sophia holds unique spiritual symbolism and moral significance for the nation.”

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and relentless daily bombings spare nothing and no one,” he said, noting the killing of innocent civilians. More than 4,000 schools, nearly 1,600 medical facilities, and 236,000 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed in this war, he reported.

Since the war began in February 2022, CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association) has partnered with Church groups in Ukraine, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Caritas Ukraine, Ukrainian Catholic University, and religious communities, to provide food, medical care, shelter, and psychological support, issuing more than $3.5 million in aid.

Archbishop Gudziak called for “those who understand” to pray for “a just, lasting peace” that “guarantees the safety of innocent people, the protection of their churches, their identity, and way of life, and the return of tens of thousands of abducted children.”

The Ukrainian Council of Churches also issued a statement condemning the attack on the cathedral and appealing to “the entire civilized world to take all necessary measures to stop the barbarism perpetrated by the Russian Federation.”

“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 670 churches and houses of worship have been destroyed or damaged,” they wrote. “Sixty clergy members from various churches and religious organizations have been murdered by Russian invaders. Many priests and pastors have been illegally arrested and held in Russian captivity.”

Vadym Kyrylenko, first deputy director general of the site, said the cathedral would be inspected and repaired. He said it was the first time the cathedral had been damaged during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. In 2023, UNESCO put the cathedral on a list of endangered World Heritage sites because of the threat of the Russian offensive.

One social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed photos of Odesa and said a maternity hospital and residential buildings were damaged in the city.

A day earlier, Russia launched nearly 500 drones and 20 missiles at targets primarily in central and western Ukraine. Russia claimed the attacks were retaliation for the 1 June Ukrainian drone strikes that targeted several Russian air bases.

The UNESCO World Heritage site says the cathedral “has preserved its ancient interiors, and the collection of mosaics and frescoes of the 11th century is unique for its integrity.”

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