Metropolitan John (Popov) of Belgorod and Stary Oskol has called for an end of the war in Ukraine, says the message published on the site of the Diocese of Belgorod.
“In the early hours of the morning, the missiles belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit populated areas while Belgorod citizens were sleeping. Among the killed there are residents of the Kharkiv region, which came to Russia to take refuge from warfare in peaceful Belgorod. But of that day and hour no one knows, when our earth life comes to an end, no one knows how that will happen. (Gospel of Matthew, 24:36-39)
We humbly pray that the deceased find peace and the injured heal, that the bloodshed, which is happening on the Ukrainian land, but, today, has come to our home too, ends.”
declared Metropolitan John.
Photo: the site of the Diocese of Belgorod
The day before, the Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that, during the night, “a series of loud noises” had been heard. After, a fire had erupted in a private residence. Four people had been killed in the fire, three Ukrainian citizens and one Russian citizen.
“All the missiles were shot down thanks to coordinated functioning of our air defence system,” clarified Gladkov.
Furthermore, 21 apartment buildings were partly destroyed, meanwhile at least 40 private houses got damaged.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that three victims were from Kharkiv. The family had come to Belgorod to wait out the war in Ukraine.
Recently, a “yellow” terrorism threat level was extended in the region until 9 July. At the “yellow” threat level, even the construction of temporary placement centres is not stipulated.
